Sjjfeilp&fc^^ 


NERVOUS     BREAKDOWNS 
AND     HOW     TO     AVOID     THEM 


All  rights  restrved 


Nervous    Breakdowns    and 
How  to  Avoid  Them 


BY 

CHARLES    D.    MUSGROVE 

•  I 

M.D. 


NEW    YORK 
FUNK    AND    WAGNALLS    COMPANY 

1913 


BiOLOGy 
LIBRARY 


BRISTOL,    ENG.  :    J.  W.  ARROWSMITH  LTD.,  QUAY  STREET. 


CONTENTS. 


Page 
CHAPTER   I. 

BREAKDOWNS  »  .  *  •  .  .  I 

The  shock.  The  kind  of  person  most  liable. 
The  nature  of  breakdowns.  Neurasthenia,  the 
two  types. 

CHAPTER   II. 
THE   DANGER   SIGNAL          .  .  .  .  .  9 

The  signs  of  a  breakdown.  Each  individual 
his  or  her  own  standard.  Breakdowns 
preventable. 

CHAPTER   III. 
HEALTH         .,..  *  .'  •     '    •    .  .          19 

Health,  not  illness,  the  standard.  What 
health  is.  The  motor-car.  The  human 
machinery.  Interplay  between  the  various 
parts.  Combustion — Ashes  or  waste  matter, 
and  how  got  rid  of.  The  nervous  ramifica- 
tions. Starvation  and  poisoning.  Compensation. 
Cause  of  breakdown.  The  remedy. 

CHAPTER  IV. 
THE  VALUE  OF  HEALTH  .      .     .     .         3! 

Happiness.     Efficiency  of  work. 

CHAPTER   V. 
REWARDS   AND    PENALTIES  ....          38 

The  health  seeker.  The  reward  of  care. 
The  inevitable  penalty.  Nature's  disregard  of 
motives.  The  laws  of  health.  Food,  fresh  air, 
exercise  and  rest. 


263806 


vi  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VI.  page 

THE    HUMAN   ENGINE,    AND    HOW   TO   STORE   IT       .         47 

The  locomotive  stoker.  The  human  furnace  : 
(i)  The  sort  of  food  to  take,  (2)  The  amount 
necessary,  (3)  How  to  take  it,  (4)  When  to 
take  it. 

CHAPTER   VII. 
WHAT   TO   EAT  .  .  .  .  .  .51 

Differences  of  constitution.  Likes  and  dislikes. 
Good  and  bad  cooking.  Proteids  or  meat  foods. 
Meat  and  gout.  Starchy  foods.  Bread.  The 
saliva.  The  slow  poison  of  dyspepsia.  Eggs, 
Soups.  Fat.  Milk.  Sour  milk  treatment. 
Sauces.  Hunger  the  best  sauce.  Tea.  Coffee. 
Alcohol. 

CHAPTER   VIII. 
HOW   TO   EAT   FOOD  67 

Mastication.     The  importance  of  sound  teeth. 

CHAPTER   IX. 
HOW   MUCH    FOOD    TO   TAKE         ....          73 

Personal  requirements.  As  a  rule  people  eat 
too  much.  Dangers  of  excess.  Diet  at  middle 
age.  Diet  for  the  obese. 

CHAPTER   X. 
WHEN    TO   TAKE   FOOD       .....          80 

Punctuality  essential.  Interval  between 
meals.  The  digestive  troubles  of  a  hundred 
years  ago  and  to-day. 

CHAPTER   XI. 
FRESH    AIR       .......          86 

The  human  furnace  always  alight.  Fresh 
air  and  the  nervous  system.  Fresh  air  in  the 
home.  The  two-edged  sword.  Consumption. 
Common  colds.  Sitting-rooms  and  bedrooms. 
How  to  obtain  fresh  air  without  draughts. 
Breathing  through  the  nose.  Breathing 
exercises.  Cleanliness.  Tidiness. 


CONTENTS.  vil 

.j  CHAPTER   XII.  pagg 

EXERCISE          .  .  .  .  iV--         ._  .       100 

Overwork  or  want  of  exercise  ?  Exercise  at 
middle  age.  Value  of  exercise.  Regularity. 
Violent  exercise.  Cramp.  Outdoor  games, 
walking,  cycling,  etc.  The  pavement  walk. 
Starting  indoor  exercises.  Cautions  as  to 
dumb-bells,  etc.  Object  of  exercise.  Swedish 
drill.  Imitation  of  games.  Massage. 

CHAPTER   XIII. 
BATHS    A.ND    BATHING         .  .  .         ._*  *       112 

Hot  baths.  Temperature.  Effect  on  various 
ailments.  How  they  act.  Cold  baths. 
Outdoor  bathing.  Turkish  baths. 

CHAPTER   XIV. 
REST     Y  «  •,  •  •  •  •  •       121 

The  spirit  of  unrest.  Modern  life.  Periodic 
rest.  What  rest  is.  Recuperation.  Power  of 
self-repair  in  the  body.  Bodily  rest,  and  how 
obtained.  Rest  of  mind.  Change  is  rest. 

CHAPTER   XV. 
SLEEP     .  *  •  -          .  .  .  •  •       130 

Beauty  sleep.  Ebb  and  flow  in  human 
system.  Remedies  for  sleeplessness. 

CHAPTER   XVI. 
HOLIDAYS         .  .  .  .  .  •         '.       137 

The  annual  holiday.  Where  and  how  to  go. 
Continental  trips.  Preparations  for  a  holiday. 
Diet  and  exercise.  The  restful  holiday.  Tired 
eyes.  The  return. 

CHAPTER    XVII. 
RECREATION,    HOBBIES       .  V  .  .  *       147 

Games  and  hobbies.  Hobbies  and  home 
life.  Hobbies  in  the  prevention  and  treatment 
of  breakdowns.  Choice  of  a  hobby. 


vili  CONTENTS. 

.      CHAPTER   XVIII.  Page 

WORK     .  .  .  .  ,: ;     -  i  ...       156 

Necessity  for  it.  Mental  exercise.  The  cry 
for  young  men.  Conditions  of  work.  Be/ore. 
Bad  effect  of  hurry.  During.  Hygiene.  Noises. 
Telephone.  Bad  light.  Midday  rest.  Meals. 
Nature  of  work.  Working  against  time.  Public 
work.  After.  Exercise.  Rest.  Recreation. 

CHAPTER   XIX. 
WORRY  .......       169 

Worry,  not  work,  that  kills.  The  effect  on 
the  mind.  Worry  and  neurasthenia.  How  to 
avoid  worry.  The  influence  of  the  body  on  the 
mind.  Anticipation.  Beset  by  work. 
Stimulants.  Overwork  versus  worry.  Hobbies 
as  a  remedy. 

CHAPTER   XX. 
THE    STRONG    MAN    ....  .  182 

W7hat  strength  is.  Find  out  the  weak  points. 
Know  your  own  temperament.  Adjusting  the 
mind.  The  secret  of  preventing  breakdowns. 


Nervous     Breakdowns     and 
How  to  Avoid   Them. 


CHAPTER  I. 

BREAKDOWNS   IN   GENERAL. 

Ax  express  train  was  on  its  way  from  London 
to  Edinburgh.  It  was  running  at  sixty  miles 
an  hour,  and  the  passengers,  as  comfortable  as  if 
they  had  been  sitting  in  easy  chairs  by  their  own 
firesides,  were  engaged  in  reading,  sleeping, 
talking  or  looking  out  of  the  windows.  Not  a 
thought  of  any  impending  trouble  crossed  their 
minds. 

Suddenly  they  felt  a  jar,  followed  by  a  jerk ; 
the  train  slowed  down,  and  within  ten  seconds  had 
come  to  a  standstill.  Then  there  was  general 
commotion,  and  heads  appeared  at  every  window, 
to  see  or  inquire  what  was  the  matter.  There 
was  no  station  in  sight,  and  no  signal  against 
them.  Yet  that  train,  which  a  few  moments 
earlier  had  been  speeding  along  in  all  its  power 
and  pride,  had  come  to  a  dead  stop. 

And  when  those  passengers  alighted  from  their 
compartments  and  began  to  investigate  matters, 
they  were  no  nearer  a  solution  of  the  mystery. 

2 


. . ,  NERVOUS  -BREAKDOWNS. 


The  train  had  not  left  the  rails,  the  carriage 
wheels  were  intact,  the  engine  was  undamaged, 
the  fires  burning  and  the  steam  up.  Yet 
something  had  happened,  and  whatever  it  was, 
it  had  rendered  that  train  a  useless  mass  of 
timber  and  steel  for  the  time  being.  It  was  still 
a  fine  thing  to  look  at,  but  as  a  means  of 
locomotion  it  was  of  no  more  use  than  a  child's 
toy  would  have  been. 

Yet,    great   as  was   the   trepidation   of   those 

passengers',     it     was     nothing     to     the     shock 

experienced  by  the  man  who  in  the  prime  of  life, 

and  perhaps  just  when  he  bids  fair 

The          to  reach  the  heights  towards  which 

shock.       he  has  been  striving  with  all  his 

might  for  long  years,  suddenly  finds 

that  he  is  incapable  of  the  very  work  of  which 

he  had  prided  himself  he  was  master. 

It  may  be  that  he  has  toiled  since  youth  in  order 
to  attain  a  certain  position,  and  just  when  it 
comes  within  his  reach  his  nerve  fails  him,  and  he 
cannot  put  out  his  hand  to  take  it.  The  energy 
and  ability  which  have  carried  him  so  far  along 
the  road  fail  him  at  the  critical  moment. 

Or  it  may  be  that  he  has  struggled  through 
laborious  days  and  nights  and  amid  many 
disappointments  for  fame.  Just  as  he  is  about 
to  realise  his  ambitions  he  breaks  down,  and 
becomes  an  embittered  misanthrope.  The  genius 
which  has  enabled  him  to  climb  so  many  rungs 
of  the  ladder  becomes  inert,  and  he  cannot  mount 
the  last  step. 

Another   spends  his  life   in    a   good   cause — 


BREAKDOWNS   IN   GENERAL.  3 

philanthropy,  religion,  public  work  of  any  sort. 
At  the  very  time  when,  by  the  experience  he  has 
gained,  his  years  of  greatest  usefulness  stretch 
before  him,  he  is  cut  off,  incapacitated  by  nervous 
debility. 

And  it  is  not  only  men  who  go  through  this 
experience  ;  the  same  may  befall  women.  Often 
has  it  happened  that  a  woman  has  devoted  herself 
so  assiduously  to  the  care  of  her  family,  regardless 
of  her  own  disturbed  meals  and  broken  rest,  that 
just  when  her  children  needed  her  most  of  all — 
and  that  is  when  they  were  growing  up — her 
strength  has  failed  her  and  she  has  become 
an  invalid. 

The  lamentable  part  about  breakdowns  is  the 
fact  that  they  attack  those  who  can  least  be 
spared.  It  is  not  the  clodhopper,  the  navvy  or 
the  labourer,  the  careless  or  the  incompetent, 
who  suffer  from  them.  On  the  contrary,  we  meet 
with  them  among  skilled  workmen,  business  men 
of  the  greatest  ability,  professional  men  of  the 
highest  acumen  and  experience.  The  former  can 
be  replaced,  whilst  these  others  have  carved  a 
niche  for  themselves  which  no  one  else  can  fill. 

It  is  the  natures  of  finest  fibre  which  accomplish 
the  most,  and  it  is  they  who  are  most  liable  to  give 
way  beneath  the  strain.  A  common  mug  may  fall 
to  the  ground  unharmed,  where  a  piece  of  costly 
china  would  be  smashed  to  atoms.  When  a 
masterpiece  of  art  is  lost  or  stolen,  the  whole 
nation  grieves  after  it.-  How  much  more  so  when 
a  man  of  repute,  either  in  great  ways  or  small, 
is  invalided  and  his  services  lost  to  the  world. 


4  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  breakdowns  constitute 

one  of  the  most  momentous  problems  of  the  day. 

We  hear  of  them  on  all  hands,  in 

The  problem  different  guises  and  under  various 

of  the  day.   terms.     Go  into  any  company  you 

like,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  before 

many  minutes  have  passed  matters  of  health  will 

be    under   discussion,    and   oftentimes    they   are 

nerves  or  breakdowns  in  some  form  or  other. 

It  is  only  natural,  perhaps,  that  this  should  be  so. 
Yet  too  frequently  the  only  result  of  these  aimless 
conversations  is  to  accentuate  suffering,  instead 
of  leading  to  the  acquisition  of  any  useful 
information  which  might  help  to  relieve  it. 
Unfortunately,  the  general  public  seems  to  have 
made  up  its  mind  that  nervous  disorders  are  an 
inevitable  concomitant  of  modern  life.  They  fear 
them  just  as  they  fear  influenza,  wondering  who 
will  be  the  next  to  be  attacked. 

Yet  there  is  no  comparison  between  the  two 
complaints.  For  the  one  is  due  to  a  germ  which 
pounces  upon  the  good  and  the  bad,  the  wise  and 
the  foolish,  the  thoughtful  and  the  careless,  with 
absolute  impartiality  ;  whilst  the  other  is  brought 
about  by  a  number  of  conditions,  all  associated 
with  our  mode  of  life,  for  which  we  are  responsible, 
and  over  which  we  have  a  vast  amount  of  control. 

Influenza  comes  like  a  bolt  from  the  blue, 
attacking  its  victims  with  disconcerting 
suddenness.  To  be  sure,  breakdowns  may  appear, 
in  many  cases  at  least,  to  come  in  a  fell  swoop ; 
but  what  seems  so  abrupt  and  unlocked  for  is 
usually  the  climax  to  a  long-continued  process 


BREAKDOWNS    IN   GENERAL.  5 

of  undermining,  like  the  collapse  of  a  house, 
which  has  succumbed  to  the  ravages  of  time. 
Yet  the  events  which  have  led  up  to  it  may  have 
been  spread  over  a  large  number  of  years. 

Occasionally  we  hear  of  someone  who  has  been 

disabled  all  of  a  sudden  by  some  definite  form  of 

ailment,  paralysis,  cancer  or  heart 

The  nature   disease,   it   may   be.      Such   cases 

of  a  break-  are,  however,  the  exception,  and 
down.  they  are  not  the  breakdowns  with 
which  we  are  now  concerned.  In 
the  great  majority  of  instances  "  breaking  down  " 
is  the  final  stage  of  a  long  process  of  "  running 
down."  There  is  as  much  difference  between  the 
two  classes  of  cases  as  between  an  engine  which 
has  come  to  a  stop  because  a  wheel  has  come  off 
or  a  connecting-rod  broken,  and  one  that  has 
become  useless  owing  to  neglect  or  prolonged  wear 
and  tear. 

The  period  of  running  down  may  last  for  months 
or  years,  and  it  is  characterised  by  various 
symptoms,  physical  and  nervous.  It  is  the 
former  which  are  at  the  root  of  the  matter,  but 
the  others  predominate  more  and  more,  until, 
when  the  final  breakdown  occurs,  they  overwhelm 
the  bodily  symptoms  altogether.  On  this  account 
it  is  usually  designated  by  terms  expressing  this 
nervous  element :  nervous  exhaustion  or  debility, 
neurasthenia  or  simply  nerves.  Yet  all  these  are 
only  different  phases  or  stages  of  the  same 
complaint. 

What,  then,  is  the  nature  of  this  complaint  ? 
It  is  one  that  has  suffered  from  much 


6  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

misapprehension,  chiefly  through  the  use  of  the 
term  "  nervous  exhaustion."  This  phrase  has 
given  rise  to  an  impression  in  the  lay  mind  that 
there  is  a  limit  to  the  nervous  force  with  which 
human  beings  are  endowed,  as  though  each  one 
started  with  a  certain  quantity  which  must  come 
to  an  end  sooner  or  later. 

This  idea  is  a  fallacy,  for  nervous  energy  is  in 
process  of  being  manufactured  every  hour  we  live. 
And  Nature  stores  up  out  of  this  supply  a  reserve 
from  which  we  may  draw  in  any  emergency  that 
may  demand  a  special  output. 

This  reserve  fund  is  constantly  varying.  It  is 
replenished  during  the  hours  of  sleep,  it  is  called 
upon  during  the  period  of  wakefulness. 
Sometimes  an  extra  call  has  to  be  made  upon  it. 
A  woman  may  have  her  night's  rest  broken,  or 
she  may  even  lose  her  sleep  altogether  for  several 
nights  in  succession.  Or  a  man  may  have  a 
sudden  stress  of  work  which  cannot  be  avoided. 
Then  the  reserve  may  be  depleted,  but  that  does 
not  constitute  a  breakdown.  If  care  is  taken  to 
ensure  sufficient  rest  afterwards,  the  surplus  is 
regained.  It  is  only  when  a  constant  drain  is  put 
upon  it  that  serious  damage  results. 

And  in  many  cases  of  breakdown  the  question 

of     exhaustion     plays     no     part.       For     most 

neurasthenics     show    no     loss     of 

The    two    energy ;     in    fact,    many    of    them 

types.        exhibit  an  increased  output.     The 

crux  of  the  whole   matter  is  not 

exhaustion,  but  a  loss  of  control  over  the  nervous 

forces.     This  loss  may  show  itself  in  two  distinct 


BREAKDOWNS   IN   GENERAL.  7 

ways.  It  may  either  prevent  the  energy  from 
manifesting  itself,  or  it  may  discharge  it  in  a 
spasmodic  manner. 

One  market-day,  in  a  country  town,  there  were 
two  horses,  both  of  which,  so  far  as  their  utility 
was  concerned,  were  equally  inefficient.  Yet 
neither  were  lacking  in  energy.  The  one  was 
excitable,  plunging  about  to  the  danger  of  the 
public,  and  in  any  direction  except  the  right  one. 
The  other  was,  on  the  contrary,  perfectly  quiet, 
standing  harnessed  to  a  vehicle,  but  unable  to  move 
it.  This  animal  had  strength  and  nerve  force  in 
plenty,  yet  it  was  incapable  of  making  use  of  it. 
For  a  drunken  ostler  had  harnessed  it  the  wrong 
way  round,  with  its  head  towards  the  cart. 

The  same  types  can  often  be  recognised  in  those 
who  suffer  from  nervous  breakdown.  Some 
patients  become  fidgety  and  restless,  rushing  about 
from  pillar  to  post,  worrying  their  employees 
or  their  fellow-workers,  and  fussing  around  in  the 
home  until  the  rest  of  the  household  dreads  the 
sight  of  them. 

Others  are  precisely  the  opposite  of  this.  They 
become  moody  and  taciturn,  or  disinclined  to 
meet  their  friends  or  take  part  in  a  conversation. 
A  woman  will  sit  by  herself  most  of  the  time, 
not  caring  even  to  have  her  children  about  her. 
A  man  will  have  a  difficulty  in  making  up  his  mind 
not  only  on  important  points  of  business,  but  it 
may  be  on  the  most  trivial  matters.  He  begins 
to  look  at  his  work  as  stupidly  as  the  aforesaid 
horse  stared  helplessly  at  the  cart  he  was  supposed 
to  pull. 


8  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

",V  ;  X 

Where  does  the  fault  lie  ?  Not  in  too  much 
energy  or  too  little,  but  in  some  derangement  of  the 
system,  whereby  the  patient's  faculties  either  go 
astray  or  are  rendered  inert.  And  in  order  to 
discover  the  real  source  of  the  mischief,  it  is 
necessary  to  look,  not  at  the  climax,  but  farther 
back,  through  a  long  sequence  of  events  which  have 
been  leading  up  to  it. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE    DANGER   SIGNAL. 

IT  will  naturally  be  asked  by  what  sign  is  a  man 
or  woman  to  know  when  they  are  threatened  with 
a  breakdown. 

By  no  one  sign  in  particular.  One  cloud  does 
not  make  a  wet  day.  It  is  only  when  other  clouds 
begin  to  gather  and  we  feel  a  certain  change  in  the 
atmosphere  that  we  surmise  that  rain  is  coming. 
The  signs  which  warn  us  of  the  approach  of  a 
storm  are  almost  too  indefinite  for  words. 

The  symptoms  by  which  a  man  is  led  to  think 

he  is  on  the  verge  of   a  breakdown  are  equally 

vague.     That  is  what  makes  them 

Signs  of  a    all  the  harder  to  locate  and  to  bear. 

breakdown.   If    he  has  sciatica,   pleurisy  or  a 

gumboil,    he    can    speak    of    his 

ailments  and  tell  people  what  is  the  matter  with 

him.      The     neurasthenic    has    not    even     this 

consolation.     His  symptoms  are  so  indefinite  that 

he  can  scarcely  find  words  in  which  to  express 

them  ;    if  he  could  da  so,  he  would  shrink  from 

mentioning  them  for  fear  that  his  friends  would 

laugh  at  him. 

For  it  must  be  understood  that  neurasthenia 
is  a  very  different  matter  from  hysteria  or 
hypochondriasis.  The  hysterical  subject  craves 
for  sympathy,  and  will  imitate  all  sorts  of  ailments 


10  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

in  order  to  secure  it.  The  hypochondriacal 
imagines  he  has  all  manner  of  diseases  and  loves 
to  talk  about  them  to  anyone  who  has  the  patience 
to  listen  to  his  tale  of  woe. 

The  neurasthenics  are  the  very  opposite  of  this. 
They  are  usually  people  of  refined  susceptibilities, 
sensitive  about  themselves  and  their  feelings. 
They  have,  therefore,  to  bear  their  burden  alone. 
They  see  the  clouds  gathering  on  their  mental 
horizon  and  their  sky  getting  darker  and  darker. 
The  future  becomes  laden  with  foreboding,  and  all 
around  there  is  the  presentiment  of  a  storm  that 
is  about  to  break.  Often  they  keep  their  feelings 
to  themselves,  until  at  last  these  become  of  such 
intensity  that  they  can  no  longer  be  hidden.  Such 
persons  often  welcome  a  definite  illness,  if  only 
because  it  gives  them  something  unmistakable 
to  speak  about,  affording  them  the  opportunity 
of  calling  in  the  medical  aid  of  which — quite 
wrongly,  be  it  observed — they  had  previously 
been  ashamed  to  avail  themselves. 

We  are  sometimes  told  that  headache,  giddiness, 
pains  in  the  region  of  the  spine,  weak  digestion 
and  a  host  of  similar  complaints  are  preliminary 
signs  of  oncoming  breakdown.  Yet,  whilst  they 
often  accompany  the  latter  condition,  they  are 
also  significant  of  many  other  ailments,  which 
have  nothing  to  do  with  it.  Sciatica  may  be 
the  result  of  a  chill,  spinal  pains  of  an  influenza 
cold,  whilst  headache  may  be  due  to  biliousness, 
faulty  eyesight  or  a  variety  of  other  conditions. 
The  fact  that  we  suffer  from  any  one  of  them  does 
not  imply  that  we  are  threatened  with  a 


THE   DANGER   SIGNAL.  11 

breakdown.  For  all  that,  it  is  not  well  to  neglect 
these  complaints,  for  it  is  certain  that  if  we  have 
any  tendency  to  nervous  trouble  they  will  hasten 
it  on. 

To  suggest,  however,  that  such  symptoms  are 
preliminary  to  a  nervous  collapse  would  be  to 
inspire,  in  the  minds  of  many  people,  a  sense  of 
terror  which  would  precipitate  the  very  disaster  we 
are  anxious  to  avoid. 

One  thing,  however,  it  is  necessary  to  emphasise. 
If  any  symptom  of  this  sort — and  the  remark 
applies  especially  to  headaches — is  found 
consistently  to  come  on  during  the  hours  of  work, 
alleviating  after  the  work  is  over  for  the  day,  it 
should,  be  taken  as  a  danger  signal.  For  when 
anyone's  occupation  brings  on  a  headache,  the 
complaint  is  much  more  likely  to  be  due  to  some 
weakness  of  the  nervous  system  than  to  any  fault 
in  digestion  or  eyesight.  And  the  same  applies 
to  many  other  symptoms  also. 

The  phenomena  I  am  about  to  describe  are  those 
suggestive  of  nervous  weakness,  and  any  man  or 
woman  who  recognises  themselves  in  the  picture 
I  shall  attempt  to  draw  had  better  take  warning. 
They  ne,ed  not  alarm  themselves  unduly,  but  they 
will  be  well  advised  to  pull  up  short. 

There  is  one  point  which  must  always  be  kept 
in  mind.  It  does  not  follow  that  because  a  person 
is  easily  tired,  or  is  irritable  or  depressed  or  dreads 
any  ordeal  awaiting  him,  or  is  nervous  in  any 
direction,  that  he  or  she  is  drifting  towards  a 
breakdown.  It  is  when  people  who  have  pre- 
viously been  free  from  such  weaknesses  find  that 


12  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

they  are  acquiring  them  that  they  must  face  the 
fact  their  nervous  systems  are  on  the  down  grade* 
Each  individual  must  be  taken  as  his  or  her  own 
standard.  What  is  natural  for  some  would  be 
unnatural  for  others.  A  person  is  ill  when  he  falls 
below  his  own  level  of  health,  either  of  body  or 
mind.  The  various  signs  of  neurasthenia  or 
breakdown  depend,  not  on  comparing  a  man  with 
anyone  else,  but  in  measuring  him  by  his  former 
self. 

One  of  the  most  constant  symptoms  is  a.  gradual 
decline  in  strength,  either  of  body  or  mind, 

without  any  organic  disease  to  ac- 
Loss  of  count  for  it.  If  a  man  whose  heart, 
strength,  lungs  and  kidneys  have  been  proved 

sound  begins  to  suffer  from  fatigue 
after  an  amount  of  exercise  such  as  he  would  not 
previously  have  noticed,  everything  points  to  the 
fact  of  its  being  the  result  of  some  impairment  in 
his  nervous  system.  More  particularly  so  if  the 
tiredness  is  of  an  unpleasant  nature.  There  is  a 
delightful  form  of  fatigue  and  there  is  a  painful  one. 
There  is  nothing  more  enjoyable  than  the  gentle 
aching  which  a  healthy  man  feels  as  he  stretches 
out  his  limbs  in  a  comfortable  chair  after  a  good 
day's  walking,  shooting,  golf  or  whatever  else  it 
may  have  been.  He  feels,  in  mind  and  body  alike, 
a  delicious  sense  of  half -sleepy  lassitude,  which 
affords  to  a  higher  degree  than  anything  else 
a  sense  of  repose  and  well-being. 

That  is  very  different  from  the  weariness  that 
dogs  a  man's  footsteps  wherever  he  goes,  or  is  even 
with  him  during  his  sleeping  hours,  so  that  he  rises 


THE   DANGER   SIGNAL.  13 

in  the  morning  more  tired  than  when  he  lay  down. 
When  that  happens  something  in  his  organisation 
has  gone  wrong. 

Equally  significant  is  the  langour  that  attacks 
people  when  they  are  following  their  daily  avoca- 
tions. Of  course,  it  is  natural  that  as  people  grow 
older  they  should  find  themselves  less  capable 
of  exertion  than  they  were  in  their  younger  days. 
Most  persons  over  forty  years  of  age  have  to  take 
things  somewhat  more  quietly  than  before.  They 
are  not  so  well  able  to  run,  and  perhaps  have  to 
walk  more  deliberately,  but  that  is  very  different 
from  feeling  fatigued  when  there  has  been  no 
justification  for  it.  Yet  even  that  is  not  a  matter 
of  such  gravity  as  when  a  man  who  has  taken 
a  keen  interest  in  his  daily  work,  of  whatever  sort 
it  may  be,  discovers  that  it  is  becoming  more  and 
more  of  an  effort.  Or  it  may  be  a  woman,  who 
finds  her  household  duties,  which  had  hitherto 
been  a  pleasure  to  her,  becoming  a  bugbear.  And 
when  anyone,  either  man  or  woman,  begins  to  look 
forward  habitually  with  dread  to  the  work  of  the 
following  day,  their  health  is  in  sore  need  of 
attention. 

Yet  in  most  cases  all  that  they  do  is  to  reproach 

themselves     for     their     indolence     and     apply 

themselves  to  their  duties  still  more 

Worry.       assiduously,  with  the  usual  result 

that   they   worry   themselves    and 

everybody  else.      And  the  harder  they  try  the 

worse  things  get,  until  at  last  the  work  in  which 

they  had  taken  such  a  pride  becomes  a  nightmare 

to  them.     They  begin  to  shrink  from  the  thought 


14  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

of  it,  yet  it  forces  itself  continually  upon  their 
notice.  Perhaps  even  the  evenings,  which  should 
bring  a  sense  of  refreshing  and  repose,  are  spoiled 
by  fretting  over  the  events  of  the  day  that  is  gone 
and  worrying  as  to  the  work  of  the  morrow ; 
the  housewife  in  trepidation  as  to  her  duties  in  the 
home,  the  workman  to  his  job,  the  commercial 
man  to  his  business,  the  parson  to  his  next 
appearance  in  the  pulpit. 

The  result  is  that  in  many  cases  the  work  suffers. 

Worry  and  anxiety  are  the  common  lot  of 
mankind,  at  any  rate  in  this  age  of  stress  and 
competition.  Yet  it  is  not  the  common  cares 
of  life  which  have  a  detrimental  effect  on  the 
human  system,  but  this  useless,  exaggerated 
vexation  of  spirit.  When  a  man  has  lost  the 
power  of  leaving  his  worries  behind  him,  it  is  time 
that  he  began  to  take  heed,  for  sooner  or  later  they 
will  affect  his  work.  If  he  allows  himself  to  drift, 
wasting  his  energies  by  futile  struggling  against 
his  own  disabilities,  his  mental  faculties  will  begin 
to  show  signs  of  wear  and  tear. 

It  may  be  that  his-  memory  will  play  him  fcricks, 

words  and  facts  failing  him  at  the  critical  moments. 

There      is      no      surer      sign      of 

Memory,      neurasthenia  than  when  a  man  who 

has  always  been  a  ready  speaker, 

begins  to  hesitate  for  words  in  which  to  express 

himself.     The    worst   symptom    of    all   is    when 

people  noted   for  their  firm,  decisive   characters 

find  themselves  unable  to  make  up  their  minds, 

either  on  some  subject  of  general  interest  or  on 

points  connected  with  their  own  pursuits. 


THE   DANGER  SIGNAL.  15 

An  even  worse  phase  of  fatigue  is  that  which 

intrudes  upon  the  hours  of  recreation.     It  is  bad 

enough  for  people  to  become  unduly 

Pleasures     tired  at  their  work  ;  it  is  worse  when 

pall.         they  become  tired   at  their  play. 

When  amusements  cease  to  afford 

any  gratification,  and  people  lose  interest  in  their 

favourite    hobbies    and    pursuits,    their   nervous 

systems  are  perilously  near  a  breakdown.  ?  This 

weakness  has  passed  into  a  further  and  a  more 

serious  stage. 

Then  social  intercourse  is  apt  to  weary  them. 
They  find  a  difficulty  in  concentrating  their 
attention  on  a  conversation,  especially  if  the 
subject  under  discussion  happens  to  be  one 
demanding  close  attention.  Sometimes,  however, 
even  an  ordinary  chat  will  tire  them  out.  It  may 
be  that  they  are  unable  to  read  the  lightest 
literature,  the  effort  to  follow  a  story  proves 
too  much  for  them. 

In  consequence  of  all  this,  they  fall  into  a  sad 

plight.      For  not  only  are  they  deprived  of  the 

solace  of  amusing  themselves,  but 

Change  of    their  friends  are  apt  to  fight  shy 

disposition,  of  them.  When  people  get  into 
*  this  state  they  become  ultra- 
sensitive, and  see  slights  and  insults  where  none 
were  meant.  They  are  liable  to  lose  their  sense  of 
humour  too,  and  can  neither  appreciate  nor  take 
a  joke.  After  that,  it  is  not  long  before  they  see 
their  friends  deserting  them,  which  means  that 
they  are  driven  back  upon  themselves. 

That,  on  the  top  of  everything  else,  depresses 


16  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

them,  and  they  worry  still  more  over  unnecessary 
trifles.  Probably  they  become  sleepless,  and  that 
will  hasten  on  as  nothing  else  can  do  the 
inevitable  climax. 

Irritability  of  temper  is  often  one  of  the  first 
signs  of  this  malady,  not  of  course  in  those  who  are 
naturally  quarrelsome,  but  in  those  who  have 
hitherto  been  of  a  genial,  companionable 
disposition.  In  fact,  change  of  disposition  is  one 
of  the  most  significant  features  in  nervous 
breakdowns.  A  man  who  has  always  taken  the 
greatest  pleasure  in  the  society  of  his  children 
will  begin  to  snap  at  them  without  any 
cause.  Their  very  presence  seems  to  fidget 
him. 

His  companions  find  it  out,  too,  for  not 
uncommonly  he  begins  to  lose  his  temper  when  he 
is  beaten  at  a  game,  a  thing  he  has  rarely  before 
been  known  to  do.  But  what  is  the  clearest 
danger  signal  of  all  is  when  men  or  women 
see  this  irritability  wrorming  its  way  into  the 
solitude  of  their  own  thoughts.  In  one  case  of 
neurasthenia  the  first  sign  consisted  of  the  fact 
that  the  patient  found,  whenever  he  was  alone, 
a  tendency  to  have  resentful  and  bitter  thoughts 
even  of  his  best  friends.  Once  or  twice  he  even 
cut  his  chin  while  shaving,  simply  because  he  was 
feeling  so  angry  with  a  chum,  who  had  not  given 
him  the  slightest  reason  for  animosity. 
Sometimes  it  happens  that  a  man  who  has  not 
been  in  the  habit  of  swearing  will  find  himself 
using  bad  language  in  the  course  of  his  soliloquies. 
Once  he  starts  doing  that,  he  may  know,  without 


THE   DANGER   SIGNAL.  17 

any  doubt  whatsoever,  that  his  nervous  system 
has  gone  wrong. 

Increasing  nervousness  is  a  predominant  feature 

of  neurasthenia.     It   appears  in   various   guises. 

A  man  who  has  never  found  any 

Increased     difficulty  in  holding  his  own  in  his 

nervousness,  dealings  with  others  will  suddenly 

find  himself  looking  forward  to  an 

interview    with    fears    and    qualms.     When    the 

time   comes  he  may  be   able   to  string  himself 

up  to  the  pitch,  but  it  will  only  be  by  an  effort 

such  as  he  is  quite  unaccustomed  to,   and  the 

nervous    tension   will   perhaps   leave   him   spent 

and  exhausted. 

Others,  who  have  never  known  the  meaning  of 
the  word  nerves,  will  feel  ashamed  and  angry  with 
themselves  when  they  start  at  the  sound  of  a 
loud  noise  or  a  banging  door,  or  are  afraid  to  enter 
a  dark  room. 

Not  infrequently  it  happens  that  people  who 
have  been  the  first  to  welcome  a  friend  in  the  street 
will  commence  to  make  a  practice  of  crossing  the 
road  when  they  see  anyone  approaching. 

Or  their  nervousness  may  take  the  form  of  a 
fear  of  the  unknown.  The  future  becomes  full  of 
dark  spectres.  Visions  of  poverty,  even  of  the 
workhouse  itself,  will  attack  a  man  whose  financial 
affairs  are  on  a  safe  footing.  A  common  sign  of 
disordered  nerves  is  a  constant  dread  of  illness. 
If  an  epidemic  of  influenza  is  prevalent,  the 
neurasthenic  will  feel  certain  that  he  is  to  be  the 
next  victim,  and  his  sensations,  purely  imaginary 
it  may  be,  will  confirm  his  forebodings. 

3 


18  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

In  whatever  way  neurasthenia  assails  anyone, 

it  has  one  certain  effect.     It  deprives  them  of  the 

joy  and  zest  of  life,  and  when  once 

Loss  of       that     has     disappeared     there    is 

zest.         little     left.       People     have     their 

different  temperaments.     Some  are 

of  a  sanguine  type,  and  it  is  no  effort  for  them  to  be 

blithe  and  gay.     Others  are  cast  in  a  more  sombre 

mould  ;   not  that  they  are  thereby  miserable,  for 

such  people  can  enjoy  themselves   as  much  as 

anyone  else,  but  in  a  quieter  way.     But  when 

their  nervous  system  shows  signs  of  damage,  they 

lose  their  sense  of  contentment  just  as  the  others 

lose  their  flow  of  vivacity. 

All  these  are  the  premonitory  signs  of  a 
breakdown,  and  if  they  are  neglected  the  crash  may 
come.  The  man  finds  that  he  cannot  face  his 
work,  the  woman  is  unable  to  carry  out  her  duties 
in  the  home.  Life  becomes  dark  and  void,  and  all 
that  made  it  worth  living  seems  to  have  gone. 

Then  too  often  they  are  assailed  by  the  worst 
dread  of  all,  the  fear  that  they  will  lose  their 
reason.  For  their  comfort  we  may  say  that, 
tragic  as  a  breakdown  may  be,  there  is  a  wide 
gulf  between  it  and  insanity. 

And  those  who  are  in  the  preliminary  stages, 
and  have  not  arrived  at  that  of  a  breakdown,  may 
console  themselves  with  the  fact  that  the  latter 
is  one  of  the  most  preventable  of  conditions.  It 
is  the  aim  of  this  book  to  show  the  diff erent 
ways  in  which  it  may  be  avoided. 


CHAPTER    III. 

HEALTH. 

IT  is  surprising,  in  these  days  when  everybody  is 
an  authority  on  matters  of  health,  how  few 
people  there  are  who  can  tell  you  what  it  really 
is.  The  majority,  if  asked  to  describe  it,  would 
probably  say  that  a  man  is  healthy  when  he  is 
not  ill. 

Now  when  you  come  to  analyse  this  statement, 
it   conclusively   shows   one    thing,    namely    that 
people  take  illness  as  the  standard. 
Health,  not  Most    human    beings,    in    civilised 
illness,  the    countries  at  any  rate,  have  some- 
standard,     thing    the    matter    with    them — a 
weak  digestion,   tendency  to  sore 
throats  or  colds,  or  a  predisposition  to  ailments 
of  one  sort  or  another. 

Yet  the  fact  that  most  people  suffer  from  illness 
is  no  reason  for  calling  it  a  natural  condition.  It 
is  health  that  is  natural  ;  illness  is  an  anomaly. 
Medical  men  themselves  are  the  first  to  recognise 
the  truth  of  this  statement.  Animals  as  a  rule 
are  sound  and  vigorous  so  long  as  they  are  in  a 
wild  state.  It  is  only  when  they  are  in  captivity 
that  they  become  delicate.  Similarly  savages  are 
much  freer  from  disease  than  civilised  races.  It 
is  when  they  live  in  artificial  surroundings  that 
they  become  prone  to  sickness. 


20  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

Health  is  not  a  negative  thing.  It  is  a  state 
in  which  every  part  is  sound  and  acts  in  harmony 
with  every  other  part. 

The   nature       A  motor-car  consists  of   a  great 

of  health,  number  of  different  parts — the  gear, 
the  engine,  the  petrol  supply,  the 
firing.  It  is  not  sufficient  that  each  section 
should  be  in  good  order.  For  each  must  also  fit 
in,  both  mechanically  and  in  point  of  time,  with 
every  other.  The  petrol  pipe  may  be  clear,  but 
unless  the  spark  reaches  the  cylinders  exactly  in 
the  nick  of  time  there  will  be  misfiring,  and  a  loss 
of  powrer  in  consequence. 

This  loss  of  power  is  not  the  only  harm  done. 
It  means  that  there  will  be  unnecessary  friction 
also,  causing  extra  wear  and  tear  to  the  engine  and 
gear.  If  this  occurs  but  seldom,  and  is  put  right 
at  once  when  detected,  little  damage  may  be 
done.  If  repeated  often,  and  allowed  to  go  on 
uncared  for,  the  whole  structure  of  the  car  will 
suffer  and  the  life  of  the  machine  be  shortened. 

It  does  not  follow  that  the  car  will  come  to  a 
standstill.  It  will  continue  to  run,  but  badly. 
For  like  every  other  engine,  it  has  the  faculty  of 
compensation.  That  is  to  say,  wrhen  one  part  is 
out  of  order  other  parts  will  take  on  some  of  its 
work,  and  help,  for  a  time  at  least,  to  make  good 
the  deficiency. 

For  instance,  in  a  four-cylinder  car  one  of  the 
cylinders  may  cease  to  act.  Yet  the  other  three 
will  take  on  a  certain  part  of  the  work,  and  help 
to  some  extent  to  make  up  the  deficiencies  of  the 
faulty  one. 


HEALTH.  21 

This  will  be  only  for  a  time,  however,  lor  the 
additional  strain  will  slowly  but  surely  have  a 
bad  effect  on  the  rest  of  the  engine,  and  through 
it  on  the  other  parts  of  the  machine.  One  by 
one  these  will  give  way,  and  have  to  be  com- 
pensated in  turn.  If  still  neglected  and  left  to 
take  care  of  itself,  there  will  come  a  time  when  so 
many  sections  are  affected,  that  the  remainder 
cannot  overcome  the  mischief,  and  compensation 
will  fail.  The  car  will  become  practically  useless. 
Perhaps,  like  the  one-hoss  shay,  it  will  collapse 
en  masse.  It  has  gone  beyond  the  stage  of 
running  badly,  it  has  broken  down. 

The  human  system  is  much  like  a  motor-car, 

in  that  it  consists  of  a  vast  number  of  parts  acting 

in  unison.     Yet  it  is  infinitely  more 

The   human  wonderful,  for    it  is    much    more 

machine,  complicated,  and  can  create  its  own 
supply  of  energy.  It  is  made, 
roughly  speaking,  of  a  framework  of  bone  and 
muscle,  a  delicately-adjusted  alimentary  system, 
whereby  it  takes  in  and  assimilates  food,  and  of  a 
circulatory  apparatus  which  drives  blood  and 
nourishment  to  all  parts  of  the  body.  It  contains 
also  a  nervous  system,  compared  with  which  these 
other  parts  are  crude,  mechanical  contrivances. 
For  it  is  on  their  nervous  supply  that  they  depend 
for  their  usefulness.  Cut  the  nerves  that  go  to  a 
limb,  and  the  finest  muscles  in  the  world  are  as 
helpless  as  the  meat  in  a  butcher's  shop.  Deprive 
the  heart  of  its  nerve  supply  for  a  single  minute, 
and  it  will  never  beat  again. 

Yet  we  pay  vastly  more  attention  to  a  weak 


22  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

heart,  as  it  is  called,  or  still  more  so  to  a  broken 
leg,  than  we  do  to  a  threatened  failure  in  the 
nervous  system,  which  outweighs  them  all  in 
importance.  Once  that  has  got  out  of  order,  the 
driving  power  is  gone.  Not  only  the  heart  and 
muscles,  but  every  other  faculty  we  possess  loses 
its  energy  and  usefulness. 

So  closely  allied,  however,  are  the  different 
parts,  that  the  nervous  system  itself,  which 
governs  all  else,  is  dependent  for  its  welfare  on  the 
very  organs  it  governs.  Like  the  power  of  a  king, 
it  rests  not  only  on  its  own  intrinsic  qualities, 
but  also  on  the  strength  and  harmony  of  the  units 
over  which  it  rules. 

And  there  is   a  constant  interplay  going  on 

between  the  various  parts  of  the  body.     No  one 

organ  or  system  can  stand  alone. 

Interplay.     If  it  is  working  badly,  it  affects 

other     parts,     and     disturbs     the 

harmony  on  which  the  health  of  the  whole  depends. 

One  of  the  most  marked  examples  of  this  is  to 
be  found  in  the  action  and  reaction  which  take 
place  between  the  digestive  organs  and  the  nervous 
system.  The  presence  of  congenial  company  at 
meal-times  is  one  of  the  best  aids  to  digestion  ;  a 
cantankerous  discussion  is  the  very  opposite. 
Similarly,  if  a  man  sits  down  to  his  dinner  with  a 
grievance  or  a  worry  on  his  mind,  it  is  safe  to 
predict  dyspepsia. 

A  lady  once  received  a  telegram  containing 
disastrous  news  just  as  she  was  finishing  a  meal. 
Up  to  that  time  she  had  never  known  what 
indigestion  was,  yet  for  the  next  couple  of  days 


HEALTH.  23 

she  suffered  from  it  in  a  most  acute  form.  The 
nervous  shock  had  thrown  the  stomach  out  of 
order,  inhibiting  the  secretion  of  gastric  juice. 

We  cannot  help  troubles  of  this  sort,  but  it  is 
only  once  in  a  lifetime,  perhaps,  that  we  get  a 
message  of  that  sort  during  the  progress  of  a 
meal.  It  is  to  be  feared,  however,  that  it  is  of 
almost  daily  occurrence  for  some  people  to  sit 
down  to  table  worrying  over  the  business  of  the 
day.  And  the  accumulated  effects  of  these  minor 
disturbances  may  in  the  long  run  prove  more 
detrimental  than  one  big  one. 

Conversely,  the  stomach  has  an  equally  potent 
influence  over  the  nervous  system.  Everyone 
knows  that  when  their  digestion  is  out  of  order, 
and  they  are  feeling  uncomfortable  or  bilious, 
their  heads  are  not  so  clear  as  usual.  And  with 
this  there  is  a  feeling  of  langour  and  irritability, 
and  a  difficulty  in  doing  work  efficiently.  This 
is  because  the  body  fails  to  get  its  proper  supply 
of  nourishment,  and  also  because  it  is  poisoned 
at  the  same  time.  In  order  to  understand  the 
manner  in  which  this  is  brought  about,  it  is 
necessary  to  know  something  as  to  the  events 
which  are  taking  place  throughout  the  body  every 
moment  of  our  lives. 

When  food  is  taken  it  is  first  digested  and  then 

passes  out  of    the   stomach,   and  is  carried  by 

means    of    the    circulation    to    all 

Combustion  parts  of  the  body.  It  nourishes 
and  the  various  tissues,  replacing  the 

elimination,  loss  which  is  constantly  going 
on. 


24  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

For  there  is  throughout  the  whole  system  a 
process  corresponding  to  combustion,  and  this 
combustion,  like  the  furnace  of  an  engine,  is  the 
source  of  our  energy. 

As  in  an  ordinary  fire,  ashes  are  produced  in 
the  form  of  waste  matter  of  a  poisonous  nature. 
This  waste  must  be  removed  from  the  tissues, 
else  it  interferes  with  the  process,  as  a  neglected 
fire  is  apt  to  become  choked  up  and  burn  badly. 

This  removal  is  also  accomplished  by  the 
circulation.  In  any  community  you  may  see  on 
any  ordinary  working  day  two  sets  of  carts,  those 
belonging  to  tradesmen  which  distribute  groceries 
and  vegetables,  and  the  scavengers'  carts  which 
gather  up  the  refuse.  The  same  processes  go  on 
in  the  human  body,  with  the  difference  that  in  this 
case  the  same  agency  which  brings  the  supplies 
also  carries  away  the  waste. 

These  impurities  are  eliminated  from  the  body 
by  means  of  the  lungs,  the  skin,  the  kidneys  and 
bowels.  And  in  order  that  this  elimination  may 
be  sufficient,  the  circulation  must  be  maintained 
in  all  parts  of  the  body.  Unless  the  blood  is  kept 
moving,  this  waste  matter  will  tend  to  collect 
somewhere  or  other  and  give  rise  to  trouble. 
The  way  in  which  this  motion  is  kept  up  is  by 
exercise,  which  squeezes  out  the  fluid  like  an 
automatic  sponge.  If  the  body  was  kept  perfectly 
still  for  weeks,  it  would  became  loaded  with  this 
impure  material,  as  a  room  that  is  shut  up  is 
found  to  collect,  in  such  a  surprising  manner,  dust 
and  dirt. 

When  it  reaches  the  lungs  it  is  purified  by  means 


HEALTH.  2fr 

of  the  air.  For  the  air  which  we  exhale  is  very 
different  from  that  which  is  breathed  in,  the 
former  being  charged  with  impurities.  The 
drowsy  feeling  which  we  experience  in  a  crowded, 
ill- ventilated  room  is  due  entirely  to  the  influence 
of  these  toxic  gases.  The  purer  the  atmosphere 
we  breathe,  the  more  effective  it  is  in  carrying  off 
impurities  from  the  blood,  so  that  fresh  air  and 
hygiene  are  essential  to  health,  whilst  exercise  acts 
as  a  valuable  adjunct  by  increasing  the  respirations 

Yet  exercise  itself,  important  as  it  is,  needs  to 
be  carried  out  in  moderation.  For  the  muscles,, 
whilst  fulfilling  the  vital  functions  just  enumerated, 
produce  a  poison  of  their  own,  if  exertion  be  too 
violent  or  prolonged.  The  severe  cramp  from 
which  athletes  are  liable  to  suffer  is  due  to  an- 
accumulation  of  this  toxin. 

This  poison  is  eliminated  from  the  system 
during  repose,  and  especially  during  sleep.  Rest 
is  therefore  as  requisite  as  exercise  itself,  and 
unless  the  body  gets  regular  rest  and  sufficient  of 
it,  severe  damage  may  result.  The  muscles  will 
not  only  become  permeated  with  their  own 
peculiar  poison,  but  will  be  so  enfeebled  as  to  be 
unable  to  assist  in  discharging  the  waste  matter 
which  is  constantly  being  formed  throughout  the 
whole  system. 

These  impurities  are  the  source  of  many  of  the 
ills  with  which  mankind  is  afflicted — headaches, 
vague  pains  in  various  parts,  languor,  and  the 
great  majority  of  rheumatic  troubles.  But  their 
worst  effect  of  all  is  that  which  they  exert  on  the 
nervous  organisation. 


26  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

For  the  ramifications  of  the  nervous 

penetrate  to  every  part  of  the  body,  including  the 

internal  organs.     From  its  seat  of 

Waste  matter  honour   in    the    brain    and    spinal 

and  the      cord  it  sends  its  messages  to  every 

nervous      tissue   in   the   body,    and  receives 

system.      messages   in   return.     It    may    be 

compared    to    an    electric    power 

-station,   which  distributes  its  current   to  every 

part  of  a  town.     But  with  this  difference,  if  the 

electric  light  in  a  house  goes  wrong,  it  does  not 

affect  the  main  station,  whereas  if  any  portion  of 

the  body  however  small  or  insignificant  gives  way, 

it  adversely  affects  the  central  parts  of  the  nervous 

system.     And  if  the  various  sections  and  organs 

<lo    not    work    together   smoothly,    the    nervous 

S3^stem,   which  governs   them   all,   suffers   along 

-with  them. 

The  nervous  system  suffers  in  two  ways  when 
the  intern  ate  organs  and  other  parts  of  the  body 
fail  to  do  their  work  properly. 

First  of  all,  it  languishes  from  starvation.     This 

-does  not  mean  that  the  individual  is  not  taking 

sufficient    quantity    of    food.     He 

Starvation,    may  be  taking  enough,   even  too 

much,  but  it  is  not  being  digested 

or  assimilated  satisfactorily,  and  though  there  is 

plenty  of  food  there  is  a  deficiency  of  nutriment. 

Secondly,  it  may  suffer  from  poisoning.     This 

may  be  the  result  of  dyspepsia,  for  when  food  lies 

in   the   stomach   undigested,   it   is 

Poisoning,    apt  to  ferment,  producing  a  poison 

that  circulates  throughout  the  body. 


HEALTH.  27 

Or  it  may  be  because  the  impurities,  which  are 
found  throughout  the  whole  body,  are  not  being 
got  rid  of,  owing  to  a  want  of  exercise  and  fresh 
air.  Or  it  may  be  owing  to  undue  wear  and  tear 
in  consequence  of  a  lack  of  sufficient  rest. 

Too  often  it  is  a  combination  of  the  two 
processes,  the  nervous  system  being  attacked  by 
starvation  and  poisoning  at  the  same  time. 

The  whole  of  man's  structure  is  a  marvellous 
automaton,  and  once  the  nervous  element  is 
disturbed  the  trouble  which  first  upset  the 
harmony  is  increased  tenfold. 

Yet  the  mischief  may  not  be  apparent  all  at 

once,  for  the  whole  organisation  is  so  accurately 

balanced  that  defects  in  one  part 

Compensa-  will  be  compensated  for  by  other 
tion.  organs.  And  whilst  this  is  a  safe- 
guard in  one  way,  it  is  a  serious 
menace  in  another.  For  the  fault  is  apt  to  be 
overlooked,  until  at  last  the  process  has  gone  on 
to  such  an  extent  that  the  balance  is  upset.  The 
machine  does  not  stop  running,  but,  like  a  motor- 
car in  similar  circumstances,  it  begins  to  run  badly. 
The  man  himself  becomes  what  is  called  "  run 
down." 

It  is  a  provision  of  Nature  that  the  nervous 
system,  being  the  mainspring  of  our  existence, 
holds  out  longer  than  any  other  structure  in  the 
body.  If  it  did  not  do  so  most  of  us  would  have 
been  dead  or  broken  down  long  ago.  Yet  it 
means  that  when  the  loss  of  balance  reaches  such 
a  point  that  compensation  fails,  the  breakdown  is 
all  the  more  disastrous. 


28  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

Then,   when  the  crash  comes,   we  blame  our 

nerves,  our  civilisation,  our  worries  and  .troubles, 

our    heredity,    anything    in    short 

The  cause    except  ourselves.     Of  course,  there 

of  the        are   cases  in  which  circumstances 

breakdown,   have  entered  over  which  the  patient 

has    had   no    control.      Sometimes 

neurasthenia  follows  a  severe   illness  or  a   bad 

accident       Sometimes   it    comes    on    at    critical 

periods  of  life.     And  in  some  instances  heredity 

has  played  a  part.     There  are  some  unfortunate 

individuals  who  have  been  born  with  weak  frames 

and  little  stamina,  so   that   even    the   ordinary 

conditions   of    life,    however    favourable,    prove 

too  much  for  them. 

Such  cases  are  the  exception.     In  the  great 

majority    of    instances    the    faults    which    have 

undermined  the  system  are  the  results  of  mistakes, 

either  through  ignorance  or  thoughtlessness,  in 

the   mode   of  life.     Not  necessarily,   observe,    a 

vicious  mode  of  life.     The  victims  may  have  been 

consistently  sober  and  virtuous.     Yet  they  may 

have  been  guilty  of  egregious  errors  in  regard  to 

the  quantity  or  quality  of  the  food  they  have 

taken,  or  the  way  in  which  they  have  eaten  it 

or  in  their  neglect  of  fresh  air,  exercise  or  rest. 

The  fault  may  lie  in  any  one  of  these  elements, 

or  in  more  than  one  ;    in  all  of  them,  perhaps. 

And  it  is  only  by  close  examination  of  the  habits 

of  life  that  the  source  of  the  mischief 

The          can  be  brought  to  light.     In  like 

Remedy,      manner  the  treatment  of  nervous 

breakdowns  consists  in  remedying 


HEALTH. 

these  faults,  once  they  have  been  ascertained. 
Patients  seldom  understand  this  fact.  What 
they  particularly  desire  is  a  tonic  to  restore  their 
jaded  energies,  on  the  principle,  evidently,  of 
whipping  up  a  tired  horse  to  make  him  go. 

They  look  for  some  patent  food  which  shall 
build  them  up  in  marvellous  manner.  Articles  of 
this  sort  are  valuable  aids  in  cases  where  starvation 
from  lack  of  sufficient  food  has  been  the  cause  of 
the  trouble.  But  where  there  has  been  an  error 
in  diet,  it  has  been,  in  an  overwhelming  proportion 
of  cases,  an  excess  of  food  rather  than  a  lack  of 
•  it,  and  when  this  has  been  so,  it  is  about  as  rational 
to  give  such  remedies,  as  it  would  be  to  pile  more 
coals  on  to  a  fire  that  was  already  choked. 

It  is  not  sufficient  merely  to  treat  individual 
symptoms,  taking  phenacetine  for  headache, 
pepsin  for  indigestion,  and  so  forth ;  for  that  is 
but  to  touch  the  fringe  of  the  matter,  leaving  the 
real  secret  of  the  trouble  undealt  with. 

/Neither  is  it  of  any  use  to  tell  the  sufferer  that 
there  is  nothing  the  matter,  that  all  he  requires 
is  to  rouse  himself  or  cease  his  restlessness,  as  the 
case  may  be.  You  might  as  well  tell  a  drowning 
man  who  cannot  swim  to  buck  up  and  be  cheerful. 
The  rest  cure,  so  much  in  vogue,  may  have  its 
advantages  in  some  cases,  but  too  frequently  the 
patient  leaves  the  institution  only  to  resume  his 
former  mode  of  life,  and  repeat  the  very  mistakes 
which  brought  on  the  illness.  A  consumptive 
might  as  well  never  enter  a  sanatorium  if  he  is  to 
return  to  a  badly- ventilated  house  and  unwhole- 
some surroundings. 


30  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

Not  uncommonly  it  happens  that  a  man  will 
make  up  his  mind  to  have  a  course  of  treatment 
at  some  spa,  even  though  it  means  a  sacrifice  of 
time  and  money.  When  he  is  told  that  it  is  his 
manner  of  life  that  needs  overhauling,  the  common- 
placeness  of  the  observation  affronts  him.  Like 
Naaman,  he  expects  to  be  sent,  if  not  to  the 
waters  of  Jordan,  at  any  rate  to  those  of  Homburg 
or  some  such  resort,  and  he  strongly  objects  to 
being  told  that  all  he  needs  he  can  get  at  home. 

Some  time  ago  I  was  travelling  from  London 
to  Buxton.  There  were  two  other  men  in  the 
carriage,  and  one  of  them  was  telling  the  other 
that  he  was  going  there  for  his  health.  He  said 
that  he  found  it  necessary  to  go  several  times  a 
year,  as  he  got  so  run  down.  The  other  man 
asked  him  what  treatment  he  had  on  these 
occasions,  did  he  have  baths  or  drink  the  waters 
or  what  ? 

"  No/'  answered  the  first  one,  "  I  simply  get 
up  early  and  go  to  bed  in  good  time  and  take 
plain  food." 

"  And  why  don't  you  do  it  at  home  instead  ?  " 
inquired  the  other. 

There  was  no  reply. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

THE    VALUE   OF   HEALTH. 

THE  supreme  value  of  good  health  is  the  fact 
that  it  is  associated  with  happiness  and  a  greater 
capacity  for  good  work. 

It    is    not    our   environment    but    our    state 

of   health   which    handicaps    us.      Mark   Tapley 

succeeded   in   ejaculating  "  jolly  " 

Health       under  the  most  depressing  circum- 

and          stances.     I    know    nothing    as    to 

happiness.    Mark's  medical  history,  but  I  should 
not  hesitate  to  affirm  that  he  did 
not  suffer  from  a  disordered  liver. 

Everything  in  this  world  varies  according  to 
the  way  it  is  looked  at,  and  we  are  all  liable  ta 
develop  mental  astigmatism  when  we  are  not 
feeling  up  to  the  mark.  A  man  will  say  and  do 
things  that  are  foreign  to  his  nature  when  he  is 
waiting  in  impatient  hunger  for  his  dinner. 
Wives  who  are  wise  have  found  this  out,  and 
wait  until  the  brute  has  been  fed  before  they 
broach  the  subject  of  a  new  hat. 

A  man  who  has  nothing  special  to  worry  him, 
and  who  if  any  difficult  position  arose  would  face 
it  without  flinching,  will  brood  over  his  affairs 
during  the  hours  of  a  sleepless  night  until  he  has 
created  troubles  enough  to  last  him  for  the  rest 
of  his  life.  His  business  may  be  running  like 


•32  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

clockwork,  but  before  morning  he  will  have  jj 
convinced  himself  that  he  is  on  the  road  to  the 
workhouse.  A  good  night's  rest,  a  brisk  walk, 
even  a  cup  of  tea  will  work  wonders  in  a  careworn 
man  or  woman,  who  has  almost  come  to  the 
conclusion  that  life  was  not  worth  living. 

One  of  the  most  prominent  symptoms  of 
jaundice  is  the  depression  which  accompanies 
that  malady.  There  is  a  solid  substratum  of 
iruth  in  the  old  saying,  "  Looking  at  the  world 
through  jaundiced  eyes." 

The  most  trying  part  of  nursing  sick  people 
is  the  cantankerousness  which*  even  the  best- 
tempered  persons  tend  to  develop  when  they  are 
ill  or  in  pain.  The  most  considerate  of  patients 
are  apt  to  become  positively  unreasonable  at  such 
times.  Yet  because  of  their  sufferings  they  need 
.all  the  sympathy  and  patience  that  can  be 
bestowed  upon  them.  And  as  a  rule,  so  long  as 
they  are  really  ill  and  laid  aside,  they  get  it. 
What  the  world  gets  sick  of  is  the  croaker,  who 
never  ceases  talking  about  his  ailments.  People 
may  sympathise  with  him  for  a  time,  but  before 
long  they  get  tired  of  hearing  about  his  complaints. 
It  is  only  human  nature  to  prefer  listening  to 
skylarks  rather  than  to  frogs. 

Perhaps  the  most  serious  effect  of  ill-health  is 

the  loss  of  confidence  which  it  entails.     Many 

a  man  of  frail  physique  and  little 

Health       stamina  has  been  left  behind  by 

and  work,    others  not  nearly  so  richly  endowed 

with  skill   or   intellectual    ability. 

He  has  the  accomplishments,  but  not  the  power 


THE   VALUE   OF   HEALTH.  33 

to  use  them.  He  is  so  afraid  of  making  mistakes, 
that  the  psychological  moment  has  gone  past 
before  he  has  made  up  his  mind,  and  time  after 
time  he  fails  to  take  the  tide  at  the  flood. 

Trace  back  the  history  of  characters  such  as 
this,  and  you  will  find  that  in  almost  all  cases 
thc*y  have  been  weakly  boys,  who  on  account  of 
their  lack  of  vigour  and  health  were  always 
afraid  to  take  the  plunge.  They  might  learn  to 
swim,  but  they  could  not  learn  to  dive. 

A  rising  young  Member  of  Parliament  was  once 
asked  what  quality  was  most  indispensable  for 
success  in  the  House  of  Commons  ?  Some  expected 
him  to  say  the  art  of  speaking,  others  the  faculty 
of  rapid  thinking,  others  again  firmness  of  con- 
victions. All  were  surprised  when  he  replied, 
"Good  bodily  health.  That,"  he  said,  "was 
more  important  than  anything  else." 

When  you  come  to  analyse  that  statement,  it  is 
iound  to  imply  more  than  the  strength  to  endure 
the  enervating  atmosphere  of  the  House  or  the 
tedium  of  long  sittings.  It  means  that  if  a  man 
is  well  and  strong  he  is  able  to  seize  every  oppor- 
tunity of  speaking,  or  otherwise  showing  his 
capabilities  and  making  use  of  them.  Good 
health  is  not  merely  a  valuable  asset  in  itself,  it 
unlocks  the  door  of  all  the  other  faculties. 

Most  of  us  are  not  going  into  Parliament,  but 
most  of  HS  have  to  make  our  living.  And  no 
matter  in  what  way  we  have  to  do  it,  whether  by 
artisanship,  business  or  professional  career,  vigour 
and  robustness  are  essential  to  success. 

An  employer  when  about  to  engage  a  hand  will 

4 


34  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

most  certainly  give  the  preference  to  a  candidate 
who  looks  strong  and  seems  in  good  spirits.  And 
this  for  more  than  mere  consideration  as  to 
workmen's  compensation.  For  we  have  all 
learned  to  associate  cheerfulness  with  ability.  If 
a  man  undertakes  a  job  as  if  he  enjoys  it,  even 
if  it  is  only  a  plumber  mending  a  kitchen  sink,  we 
naturally  conclude  that  he  knows  wrhat  he  is' 
about.  If  on  the  other  hand  he  looks  worried,  we 
suspect  that  he  has  come  across  difficulties- that 
he  does  not  understand.  If  he  seems  to  have  no 
confidence  in  himself,  we  cease  to  have  any 
confidence  in  him. 

We  are  all  more  inclined  to  extend  our  patronage 
to  a  tradesman  who  serves  with  a  beaming  smile 
than  to  one  who  looks  as  if  he  would  be  thankful 
to  see  the  last  of  us. 

And  in  any  avocation  good  health  goes  a  long 
way  by  contributing  that  quiet  contentment  of 
mind  which  is  a  sine  qua  non  to  the  attainment 
of  excellence, 

It  is  a  dictum  in  the  medical  profession  that 
you  can  always  tell  the  state  of  a  surgeon's 
digestion  by  the  amount  of  confidence  with  which 
he  makes  his  incisions. 

The  parson  who  enters  the  pulpit  with  an  air 
of  robust  vigour  is  vastly  better  calculated  to 
secure  the  attention  of  his  hearers  than  one 
who  crawls  in  looking  as  if  he  wished  it  were 
all  over. 

A  man  who  is  at  the  head  of  a  large  business 
awoke  one  morning  feeling  out  of  sorts.  His 
breakfast  disagreed  with  him,  and  he  arrived  at 


THE   VALUE   OF   HEALTH.  35 

his  destination  in  a  state  of  irritability.  Then 
he  rapped  out  at  his  subordinates  until  he  had 
flurried  them  to  such  an  extent  that  they  could  not 
do  their  work  properly.  And  of  course  after  that 
everything  else  went  wrong.  When  he  was  called 
on  to  come  to  a  decision  in  regard  to  an  important 
contract,  he  got  the  worst  of  the  bargain  simply 
through  lack  of  a  little  tact.  Yet  ordinarily  he 
was  noted  for  powers  of  dealing,  and  for  a  judg- 
ment that  was  rarely  at  fault.  That  day  he  was 
the  victim  of  his  own  stomach. 

Want  of  stamina  has  deprived  the  world  of 
some  who  might  have  done  much  to  ease  its  woes 
and  help  its  advancement.  For  it  effectually 
limits  the  sphere  of  a  man's  operations.  There 
are  some  of  conspicuous  ability  who  have  had  to 
waste  their  talents  in  some  quiet  backwater,  when 
had  they  but  had  the  requisite  amount  of  strength 
they  might  have  occupied  a  prominent  place  in 
public  affairs.  Young  men  who  have  possessed 
every  other  fitting  quality  have  been  rejected  for 
the  missionary  cause  because  their  health  was 
not  good  enough  to  stand  the  hardships  of  such 
a  life. 

Some  may  ask  as  to  whether  good  work  has  not 
been  done  by  those  crippled  by  ill-health. 
Undoubtedly  it  has  been  done,  yet  as  a  rule  it  has 
been  by  those  endowed  with  talents  which 
enabled  them  to  carry  out  their  work  in  seclusion 
— writers,  poets,  composers  and  so  forth — not  by 
those  compelled  to  take  their  place  among  the  rank 
and  file  in  the  busy  world  of  men  and  things.  Too 
often  in  the  latter  case  they  have  fallen  behind 


36  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

and  been  submerged.  Even  if  success  has  been 
their  lot,  it  has  been  at  such  a  cost  to  mind  and 
body  alike  as  to  make  it  scarcely  worth  the 
while. 

Yet  even  those  who  have  been  in  the  fortunate 
position  of  being  able  to  exercise  their  talents  in 
solitude,  far  from  the  madding  crowd,  have 
betrayed  the  influence  of  their  infirmities  in  the 
nature  of  their  works.  Schubert  and  Chopin  both 
wrote  exquisite  music,  yet  their  weak  state  of 
health  still  reveals  itself  in  the  melancholy  strain 
which  pervades  their  compositions.  The  same  is 
characteristic  of  some  of  the  writers  and  poets. 
Robert  Louis  Stevenson  is  the  great  exception. 
But  the  disease  which  attacked  him  in  his  young 
days,  and  dogged  his  steps  mercilessly  to  the  end 
of  his  life,  was  one  that  is  oftentimes,  strangely 
enough,  characterised  by  buoyancy  and  en- 
thusiasm, in  marked  contrast  to  the  prevailing 
depression  of  the  confirmed  dyspeptic,  of  which 
Carlyle  was  such  a  marked  example.  Yet  what 
chiefly  enabled  Stevenson  to  keep  up  the  vigour 
and  inimitable  style  of  his  writing  to  the  day  of 
his  death  was  the  unremitting  care  which  he  took 
in  order  to  regulate  his  life  in  such  a  way  as  to 
preserve  his  energies  and  keep  his  mental  powers 
intact  to  the  very  end.  That  last  broken  sentence, 
the  most  pathetic  ever  written,  in  Weir  of 
Hermiston,  is  more  than  an  expression  of  his  great 
genius ;  it  is  a  lasting  tribute  to  the  vigilance 
with  which  he  safeguarded  such  strength  as  he 
possessed.  It  is  a  lasting  reproach  to  those  who 
have  been  gifted  with  robust  health,  and  by  their 


THE   VALUE   OF  HEALTH.  37 

own  heedlessness  have  lost  what  is  man's  most 
priceless  possession.  People  may  disregard  the 
laws  of  health  and  appear  for  a  time  to  go  un- 
scathed. But  the  day  of  retribution  will  come, 
and  outraged  Nature  assert  itself .  Sooner  or  later 
the  inevitable  penalty  must  be  paid. 


CHAPTER  V. 

REWARDS   AND    PENALTIES. 

SOME    people   expect    health,    as   others   expect 

riches,    to   fall   into    their  lap.     Either   because 

they  do  not  know,  or  do  not  care, 

The  health-  they  prefer  to  leave  their  health 

seeker.       to  look  after  itself.    They  call  it 

trusting  to  Nature.    And  when  they 

see  other  people  studying  the  best  way  to  be  strong 

and  well,  they  call  them  cranks  and  faddists. 

There  is  a  vast  difference,  however,  between 
the  faddist  and  the  genuine  health-seeker.  The 
individual  who  thinks  the  world  is  going  to  be 
saved  by  eating  brown  bread  or  any  other  article 
of  diet,  regardless  of  the  fact  that  what  agrees  with 
one  may  upset  another,  is  nothing  short  of  a 
nuisance.  The  man  who  strives  to  exercise  his 
common  sense,  and  to  find  out  what  suits  him, 
either  from  his  own  experience  or  from  the  advice 
of  those  in  a  position  to  give  him  useful  informa- 
tion, is  worthy  of  all  respect. 

It  is  all  very  well  to  talk  of  leaving  things  to 
Nature,  but  does  Nature  always  do  her  work  in  the 
best  possible  way  ? 

Leave  a  garden  to  Nature  for  a  year,  and  you 
will  have  a  clear  answer  to  that  question.  It  will 
be  overgrown  with  weeds.  Leave  a  tract  of 
country  to  Nature,  and  it  becomes  a  wilderness. 


REWARDS   AND   PENALTIES.  39 

Leave  your  health  to  Nature,  and  it  will  be  nothing 
short  of  a.  miracle  if  she  does  not  make  a  mess  of  it. 

Talk  to  any  elderly  man,  who  has  succeeded 
in  keeping  himself  fit  and  strong,  and  almost 
certainly  you  will  find  that  he  has  well-defined 
ideas  on  the  maintenance  of  health.  He  has 
iound  out  what  agrees  with  him  and  what  does 
not.  Sometimes  he  appears  to  be  careless  as  to 
what  he  eats,  taking  things  that  would  disagree 
with  many  other  persons.  Yet  he  is  only  taking 
them  because  he  has  discovered  that  they  suit  his 
constitution.  Moreover,  you  will  notice,  if  you 
watch  him  closely,  that  he  is  extremely  particular 
as  to  the  way  in  which  he  eats  that  food  and  all 
his  other  food  as  well.  A  man  is  either  a  physician 
or  a  fool  at  forty,  it  is  said.  The  worst  of  it  is 
that  by  the  time  most  of  us  have  reached  that 
age  we  have  managed  to  inflict  more  harm  than 
can  be  undone. 

Nov/adays  nearly  everything  is  taught  in  the 
schools,  including  perhaps  a  few  subjects  that 
might  well  be  spared.  When  the  teaching  of 
health  is  made  compulsory,  we  shall  make  rapid 
strides  in  regard  to  national  physique.  The 
medical  inspection  of  schools  was  one  of  the 
greatest  advances  ever  made.  And  when  in 
addition  every  child  is  instructed  in  the  elementary 
rules  of  health,  the  country  will  be  spared  a  vast 
amount  of  time  and  money,  such  as  is  expended 
at  present  in  looking  after  the  feeble  and  diseased. 
We  do  not  expect  a  boy  or  girl  to  learn  any  other 
subject  on  its  own  account  or  of  its  own  freewill, 
and  we  have  no  right  to  expect  them  to  learn  the 


40  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

secrets  of  health.  They  must  be  taught  them 
just  as  they  are  taught  to  read  and  write.  Above 
all,  they  must  have  it  impressed  upon  them  that 
health  is  largely  a  matter  of  care  and  study. 

The  reason  why  some  people  are  stronger  than 

others  is,  in  the  great  majority  of  cases,  because 

they    have    taken    care    of    them- 

The  reward  selves,   rather   than   because   they 

of  care.      have  inherited  more  robust  frames 

and  greater  staying  powers.     There 

are  some,  it  is  true,  who  have  to  struggle  against 

ill-health    from     their    earliest     childhood.     All 

through  life,  it  may  be,  they  have  to  contend 

against  their  own  infirmities. 

Yet  not  uncommonly  it  has  turned  out  that 
those  who  have  been  handicapped  from  the  start 
have  in  the  long  run  passed  their  more  robust 
comrades.  It  is  not  always  the  healthy  baby  that 
develops  into  the  hardiest  member  of  the  family* 
The  puny  little  one  has  been  known  to  have  the 
best  of  it  in  regard  to  health  by  the  time  it  has 
grown  up. 

And  when  this  happens  it  is  simply  a  reward 
for  taking  care.  Parents  are  bound  to  pay  more 
attention  to  a  weakly  child,  while  the  robust  ones 
are  often  left  to  take  their  chance,  and  as  they 
grow  up  into  boyhood  and  manhood,  the  delicate 
one  has  still  to  exercise  care  and  look  after  his 
health, 'if  only  for  his  own  comfort.  He  knows, 
even  in  his  schooldays,  that  if  he  eats  too  much 
pastry  or  sweets,  or  neglects  to  change  his  clothes 
if  he  gets  a  wetting,  he  will  have  to  suffer  for  it. 
All  this  time  his  hardy  brother  is  running  all  sorts 


REWARDS    AND    PENALTIES.  41 

of  risks,  and  playing  ducks  and  drakes  with  his 
digestion  and  his  constitution  in  general. 

When  they  are  approaching  middle  age,  the 
strong  one  has  developed  into  a  gouty,  dyspeptic 
individual,  who  does  not  know  what  it  is  to  feel 
well  for  a  single  week  at  a  time.  And  the  weakly 
one  may  be  better  and  stronger  than  he  has  ever 
been  in  his  life  before. 

He  has  never  been  able  to  do  anything  by  leaps 
and  bounds,  but  he  has  plodded  steadily  on, 
exercising  care  and  common  sense,  and  looking 
after  his  health  in  every  possible  way.  It  is 
another  example  of  the  hare  and  the  tortoise. 

Two  men  were  crossing  a  ship's  gangway,  which, 
had  a  rail  at  one  side  but  was  unprotected  on  the 
other.  The  first  was  a  frail,  nervous  man,  while 
his  friend  who  followed  him  was  a  strong,  lusty 
fellow.  The  delicate  one  took  care  to  keep  a  firm 
grip  on  the  rail.  He  reached  the  ship's  side  in 
safety.  The  second  man  disdained  to  avail 
himself  of  its  aid,  and  walked  up  the  gangway  with 
his  hands  in  his  pockets,  paying  no  heed  to  his 
steps.  Suddenly  he  lost  his  balance  and  fell  into 
the  water. 

He  scrambled  out  and  cursed  his  bad  luck. 
"  He  was  the  most  unfortunate  beggar  that  ever- 
lived,"  he  said.  He  completely  lost  sight  of  the 
fact  that  it  was  his  own  carelessness  which  had 
brought  about  the  mishap. 

And  it  is  a  common  occurrence  to  hear  people, 
who  have  been  running  all  sorts  of  unnecessary 
risks,  complaining  of  their  bad  fortune  when 
illness  overtakes  them.  They  get  wet  through. 


42  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

and  sit  in  their  damp  clothes,  and  are  very  much 
aggrieved  when  they  take  a  chill.  Or  they  gorge 
themselves  with  pastry  or  sweetmeats, and  consider 
themselves  martyrs  when  they  suffer  from  a 
bilious  attack. 

There  is  one  penalty  ever  before  us,  that  which 

must  be  paid  by  all  who  transgress  the  laws  of 

health.     I  say  penalty,  not  punish- 

The  inevit-  ment.  A  boy  who  has  purloined  a 
able  penalty,  plum  cake  and  eaten  inordinately 
of  it  may  obtain  his  mother's 
forgiveness,  but  the  chances  are  that  he  will  be 
penalised  by  having  to  endure  a  bout  of  stomach- 
ache. 

In  all  this  I  have  no  wish  to  imply  that  those 
who  disregard  the  laws  of  health  do  so  from 
self-indulgence.  On  the  contrary,  the  great 
majority  of  breakdowns  occur  in  those  who  have 
overtaxed  their  strength  whilst  toiling  to  support 
their  wives  and  families,  or  to  minister  to  the 
welfare  or  comfort  of  those  around  them,  or 
to  labour  in  some  way  or  other  on  behalf  of 
humanity. 

In  a  Midland  town  two  young  parsons  worked 
side  by  side.  One  of  them  was  a  genial  sort  of 
fellow,  who  seemed  to  have  plenty  of  time  for 
•everything,  work  and  play  alike.  When  his 
labours  were  over  for  the  day,  people  enjoyed 
having  him  in  for  a  bit  of  supper  and  a  chat. 

On  bright  days,  Mondays  particularly,  he  would 
mount  his  bicycle  or  shoulder  his  golf  clubs,  and 
set  off  to  have  a  good  time  of  it.  His  doings 
were  a  puzzle  to  his  confrere,  who  never  had  a 


REWARDS   AND    PENALTIES.  43 

minute  to  spare,  and  rushed  at  his  work,  sermon- 
making,  visiting,  and  meetings  alike,  with  feverish 
anxiety.  Even  his  meals  were  hurried  through 
in  the  same  manner,  for  those,  like  recreation,  he 
regarded  as  an  interference  with  his  duties. 

When  his  daily  work  came  to  an  end,  he  would 
proceed  to  make  up  for  lost  time  by  reading  or 
writing  till  long  after  midnight,  with  the  result 
that  such  sleep  as  he  got  when  he  went  to  bed  was 
simply  the  broken  sleep  of  brain  exhaustion. 

Little  wonder  that  he  always  looked  strained 
and  anxious,  and  that  when  he  went  into  the 
pulpit  on  Sundays  he  failed  to  get  into  touch  with 
his  hearers.  With  all  his  unceasing  efforts,  he 
could  not  but  realise  that  his  friend  had  a  vastly 
greater  hold  on  the  people  than  he  was  ever  able 
to  acquire.  Then  he  would  conclude  that  it  must 
be  due  to  some  fault  in  himself,  and  would  begin 
to  look  for  it  in  the  wrong  place,  viz.  in  his  own 
soul.  It  must  be  some  black  place  in  his  own 
heart,  he  thought,  which  was  hindering  his 
work. 

Now  when  a  man  indulges  in  too  much 
introspection  he  is  very  liable  to  develop  a  morbid 
conscience,  and  see  evil  in  himself  that  is  purely 
imaginary.  Hypochondriacs  of  any  sort  are  a 
nuisance  both  to  themselves  and  other  people, 
but  none  more  so  than  the  spiritual 
hypochondriac.  The  consequence  of  these  heart- 
searchings  was  that  he  would  increase  his  efforts, 
and  try  to  squeeze  more  work  into  the  day. 

lie  was  sitting  at  breakfast  one  day  scanning 
the  morning  paper,  when  a  head-line  attracted 


44  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

his  notice,  "  Death  of  the  Rev.  X.  Y."  The  para- 
graph described  how  X.  Y.,  whom  the  young 
parson  had  always  taken  as  his  model  for  energy 
and  unremitting  toil,  had  had  to  relinquish  his 
duties  owing  to  a  nervous  breakdown,  brought 
on  by  overwork  and  the  lack  of  holidays  or 
recreation  of  any  sort. 

The  young  man's  eyes  dilated  with  horror  as  he 
went  on  reading  and  realised  the  unmistakable 
fact  that  X.  Y.  had  brought  about  his  own  death. 
The  thought  that  such  a  fate  might  one  day  be 
his  own  sent  a  shudder  through  him,  especially 
when  it  dawned  upon  him  that  he  had  been  doing 
his  work  on  precisely  the  same  lines  as  those 
which  had  culminated  in  this  tragedy. 

It  is  not  often  that  a  man  is  so  fortunate  as  to 
have  such  an  object-lesson  as  this.  More 
frequently  he  is  allowed  to  persist  in  ways  which 
lead,  if  not  to  a  disaster  like  the  one  referred  to, 
at  any  rate  to  a  breakdown,  which  puts  a  stop  to 
his  career  of  usefulness. 

No   matter   how   lofty   may   be   the   motives, 

Nature    takes   no    account   of   them.     She   is   a 

jealous    mistress,    and    insists    on 

No  account  having  her  due  share  of  attention, 

o!  motives,    allowing     of     no     excuses.       The 

mother  who  neglects  her  own  needs 

through  attending  to  the  wants  of  her  children 

will  suffer  equally  with  the  silly  girl  who  starves 

-  herself  in  order  to  keep  her  figure  slim. 

If  a  man  stands  out  in  the  driving  rain,  he  is 
equally  susceptible  to  cold,  whether  he  stood 
there  in  order  to  watch  a  football  match  or  to  take 


REWARDS   AND   PENALTIES.  45 

part  in  an  evangelistic  meeting.  It  is  as  injurious 
to  sit  in  a  draught  in  a  church  as  in  a  music-halJ. 
A  stuffy  atmosphere  is  no  less  detrimental  to 
health  whether  we  encounter  it  whilst  visiting 
a  sick  friend  or  in  spending  the  time  in  a  gambling 
den. 

Two  of  the  worst  cases  of  breakdown  which 
I  ever  heard  of  occurred  respectively  in  the  case 
of  a  working  man,  who  had  starved  himself  in  the 
necessaries  of  life  in  order  to  bring  up  three 
orphan  nephews  and  nieces,  and  in  that  of  a 
young  professional  man,  who  sat  up  every  night 
for  weeks,  after  doing  his  work  by  day,  to  nurse 
his  wife  through  a  dangerous  illness. 

There  are  hundreds  of  people  drifting  towards 

a  breakdown,  not  because  of  their  circumstances 

or  the  nature  of  their  avocation, 

Health  lies    but  because  of  the  way  in  which 

in  our  own  they  choose  to  live  and  do  their 

hands.        work.     Health  is  a  matter  that  lies 

in  our  own  hands  to  a  far  greater 

extent  than  is  usually  supposed.     All  who  wish 

to  fulfil  their  mission  in  life  to  the  best  of  their 

ability,  and  maintain  their  power  of  work  as  long 

as  possible,  must  keep  one  eye  on  their  work  and 

the  other  on  their  health.     Whilst  doing  their 

duty  to  others,  they  must  not  fail  to  do  justice  to 

themselves. 

I  once  saw  two  men  playing  golf,  both  of  whom 
were  men  of  fame.  One  was  a  writer  of  repute, 
the  other  an  orator  whose  name  is  known  far  and 
wide.  They  played  round  with  an  abandon  and 
zest  that  was  refreshing  to  witness.  But  what 


46  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

impressed  me  most  was  a  remark  made  by  one 
of  them  when  they  came  in. 

"  My  friend  and  I  were  anxious  to  get  a  game 
to-day,"  he  said,  "  because  we  are  the  principal 
speakers  at  two  mass  meetings  to-night,  and  the 
people  are  expecting  something  special,  so  we 
must  be  prepared  to  let  them  have  it." 

That  was  why,  instead  of  immersing  themselves 
in  studious  solitude,  rehearsing  their  speeches, 
they  spent  the  time  in  playing  a  game  like  a 
couple  of  schoolboys  out  for  a  holiday,  with 
a  good  tea  and  a  rest  to  follow.  It  is  a  dozen  years 
since  that  happened,  but  those  two  men,  who  are 
among  the  hardest  public  workers  of  the  day, 
are  as  fresh  and  fit  for  their  duties  now  as  they 
were  then.  And  this,  not  from  any  natural 
strength  or  stamina,  but  simply  because  they 
have  always  taken  pains  to  carry  out  the 
fundamental  laws  of  health. 

The  remainder  of  this  book  will  be  directed 
to  the  consideration  of  these  laws,  on  which 
the  whole  question  of  breakdowns  and  their 
prevention  depends. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  HUMAN   ENGINE   AND   HOW  TO   STOKE    IT. 

AN  express  train  was  standing  in  a  London 
terminus,  on  the  point  of  starting  for  her  run  to 
Edinburgh.  Several  persons  were  admiring  the 
great  locomotive,  which  was  throbbing  like  a 
hound  in  leash,  ready  to  be  off  the  moment  the 
guard's  signal  was  given.  The  guard  waved  his 
flag,  and  the  train  glided  out  of  the  station  so 
smoothly,  that  the  unwary  passenger  standing  up 
in  his  compartment  at  the  time  was  not  even 
jolted.  The  first  stopping-place,  a  hundred  miles 
away,  was  reached  on  the  stroke  of  time,  without 
a  hitch  of  any  sort. 

The  man  who  was  responsible  for  this  perfect 
running  was  not  the  driver  so  much  as  the  stoker, 
that  humble  individual,  as  we  are  apt  to  regard 
him,  whose  duty  it  was  to  put  the  coal  on  the 
fires.  Unless  he  had  done  his  work  efficiently,  the 
best  driver  of  the  finest  locomotive  ever  built 
could  not  have  made  a  good  run. 

He  took  care  to  use  the  right  sort  of  coal,  to  put 
in  enough  of  it  to  keep  the  fires  bright,  but  not  so 
much  as  to  choke  them  up,  and  to  shovel  it  in  with 
discretion  and  at  suitable  times.  Few  people 
realise  that  there  is  a  distinct  art  in  stoking  a 
furnace. 

Yet  that  stoker  was  not  a  happy  man.     He  was 


47 


48  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

sallow  and  of  a  livery  type.  He  often  suffered  from 
headaches  and  spots  before  his  eyes,  heartburn 
.and  nausea.  Although  he  was  muscular  and 
powerfully  built,  he  frequently  felt  so  tired  and 
listless  that  he  was  hardly  able  to  face  his  day's 
work. 

All  this  was  due  to  the  circumstance  that, 
although  he  had  mastered  the  stoking  of  an  engine, 
he  had  never  learned  to  feed  himself  properly. 
He  had  not  realised  that  he  himself  was  an 
^engine,  quite  as  much  so  as  the  locomotive  he 
worked  on,  and  that  the  food  he  took  was  the 
fuel  which  supplied  the  driving  power  to  his 
system  and  kept  his  machinery  running.  It 
had  never  dawned  on  him  that  there  is  an  art  in 
eating  just  as  important  as  that  of  stoking,  and 
demanding  as  much  care  and  foresight. 

He  would  take  his  meals  at  any  time  that 
happened  to  be  convenient,  and  would  eat 
anything  that  came  before  him,  regardless  as  to 
whether  it  suited  him  or  not.  Furthermore,  he 
often  ate  to  repletion,  and  bolted  his  food  down 
without  masticating  it  properly.  And  that  was 
why  his  own  machinery  ran  badly  and  he  felt 
tired  and  depressed.  In  which  respects  he  was 
•exactly  like  thousands  of  other  people. 

This  resemblance  between  a  steam  engine  and 
the  human  body  is  a  pronounced  one.  As  we 
have  already  pointed  out,  the  food,  after  being 
•digested  and  absorbed  through  the  walls  of  the 
digestive  tract,  is  burnt  up  in  the  tissues  by  a 
process  closely  corresponding  to  that  of  ordinary 
•combustion,  and  there  is  a  residue  of  waste 


THE  HUMAN  ENGINE  AND  HOW  TO  STOKE  IT.      t9 

products  left  behind  resembling  *  the  cinders 
and  ashes  of  a  coal  fire.  Nature  is  able  in  various 
ways  to  dispose  of  this  waste,  eliminating  it  from 
the  body.  If,  however,  the  amount  of  food  taken 
be  excessive,  the  residue  is  so  large  that  the 
resources  of  the  system  are  not  sufficient  to  cope 
with  it,  and  in  consequence  it  accumulates  in  the 
tissues. 

Then  the  individual  suffers  from  discomfort 
or  pains  in  the  muscles,  and  from  headache  with 
a  sense  of  tiredness,  even  apart  from  exercise  or 
work ;  also  from  various  other  symptoms,  owing 
to  this  waste  matter  circulating  in  the  blood. 

The  wrong  sort  of  food  may  have  been  taken, 
or  eaten  either  too  quickly  or  at  unsuitable  times, 
and  dyspepsia  results.  Then  there  is  a  certain 
amount  of  undigested  food  constantly  left  behind 
in  the  stomach,  and  this  begins  to  ferment, 
developing  a  poison  of  its  own,  which  gets  into  the 
circulation  and  aggravates  the  effect  of  that 
already  present.  At  the  same  time  the  nutritive 
quality  of  the  food  is  diminished,  so  that  there  is 
superadded  a  process  of  starvation.  There  is 
plenty  of  food,  but  little  nourishment. 

The  final  stage  is  therefore  one  of  poisoning 
and  inanition  combined.  The  effect  of  this  on  the 
whole  body,  and  especially  on  the  nervous  system, 
is  harmful  to  the  last  degree.  The  headaches  are 
accentuated,  and  the  individual  feels  depressed 
and  irritable.  The  irritating  influence  of  these 
baneful  products  is  so  marked,  that  the  different 
organs  begin  to  show  signs  of  the  damage  which 
is  slowly  but  surely  taking  place,  and  the  delicate 

5 


50  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

nervous  system  feels  the  influence  of  it  most  of  alL 
The  pain,  discomfort  and  nausea  caused  by  the 
contact  of  acid  undigested  food  with  the  lining  of 
the  stomach  add  to  the  feeling  of  misery. 

This  may  go  on  for  years,  until  with  one  thing 
and  another  life  is  hardly  worth  living.  It  may 
disappear  for  a  time,  only  to  return,  perhaps,  in  an 
aggravated  form.  Meanwhile  the  strain  on  the 
whole  organisation  becomes  greater,  as  the  organs 
grow  less  capable  of  propping  each  other  up.  If 
it  is  allowed  to  continue  indefinitely,  the  time  may 
come  when  Nature  will  rebel,  refusing  to  be  treated 
in  this  scurvy  manner  any  longer. 

The  art  of  feeding  resolves  itself  into  four 
considerations :  the  sort  of  food  to  take,  the 
amount  necessary,  how  and  when  to  eat  it. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

WHAT   TO   EAT. 

SIMPLE  as  this  may  appear  at  first  sight,  it  is  one 
of  the  most  difficult  problems  with  which  human 
beings  are  confronted.  The  diet  of  a  horse  is 
limited,  so  is  that  of  fowls.  Among  wild  animals 
we  find  some  that  are  flesh  eaters,  such  as  the 
lion  and  the  tiger,  while  others  live  on  vegetables 
or  fruits.  Man,  on  the  other  hand,  like  the  pig 
(save  the  mark  !)  eats  everything,  and  the 
question  is  what  to  choose  out  of  this  unlimited 
bill  of  fare. 

We  must  remember  that  people  are  not  all  built 

alike,  and  that  what  is  one  man's  food  is  another's 

poison.      There      is      no      greater 

Differences    mistake    than    that    of    imitating 

of  other  people.     The  native  of  India 

constitutions,  thrives    on    rice,    but   white    men 

who  attempt  to  live  exclusively  on 

it  soon  find  their  systems  going  to  pieces. 

Even  among  persons  of  the  same  race  we  find 
marked  differences.  One  of  our  neighbours 
flourishes  on  vegetables  and  bread  ;  we  adopt 
the  same  diet,  with  the  result  that  we  become  too 
tired  to  do  our  work.  Another  takes  meat  three 
times  a  day  and  looks  well  on  it ;  we  try  the  same, 
and  grow  gouty.  Another  consumes  a  quart  of 


52  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

milk  a  day  in  addition  to  his  ordinary  food,  and 
says  he  cannot  get  on  without  it ;  we  follow  his 
example,  and  get  a  bilious  attack. 

There  is  a  hale  old  gentleman  of  eighty  who 
takes  every  night  a  supper  of  bread  and  cheese, 
with  beer  and  walnuts  to  follow,  going  to  bed 
immediately  afterwards,  and  waking  up  fresh  and 
vigorous  in  the  morning.  Most  of  us,  if  we  took 
a  supper  like  that,  would  go  to  bed  to  stay  there. 

The  fact  is  that  there  is  no  general  rule 
applicable  to  everyone.  Some  people  thrive  on 
a  vegetarian  diet,  but  others  cannot  get  along  on 
it  at  all ;  and  the  same  remark  applies  to  every 
other  such  restriction.  It  rests  with  each 
individual  to  discover  for  himself  or  herself  what 
foods  suit  them  best  and  keep  to  them,  avoiding 
any  which  manifestly  disagree. 

Within  reasonable  bounds  the  question  of  likes 
and  dislikes  is  a  useful  guide.  Rich,  highly- 
seasoned  dishes  are  of  course  bad 

Likes  and  for  everybody ;  but  as  applied  to 
dislikes,  plain,  healthy  articles  of  food,  it  is 
safe  to  say  that  what  people  like 
agrees  with  them,  and  vice  versa. 

As  to  dislikes,  there  are  no  two  opinions  on  the 
subject.  If  the  taste  of  any  food  is  repugnant  it 
should  be  avoided  like  poison.  In  fact,  so  far  as 
that  particular  person  is  concerned,  it  probably 
is  a  poison.  Some  people  dislike  cheese  to  such 
an  extent  that  they  cannot  even  swallow  it,  try 
as  they  may.  If  they  did  succeed  in  getting  it 
down  the  results  would  most  likely  be  disastrous. 
I  know  of  one  family  who  cannot  take  eggs  in  any 


WHAT   TO   EAT.  53 

form,  not  even  in  the  smallest  quantity  as  a  mere 
flavouring,  "jlf  they  get  it  by  mistake  they  are 
ill  with  an  attack  resembling  acute  gastritis  for 
days  afterwards. 

It  does  not  follow  that  a  patient  has  been  living 
luxuriously  because  he  is  suffering  from  habitual 
dyspepsia.  It  is  not  uncommon  to  hear  people 
say  that  they  cannot  understand  why  they  should 
be  so  afflicted,  as  their  diet  had  been  of  the 
plainest.  Bacon  and  dry  bread,  with  toast  and 
marmalade  to  follow,  sounds  rational  enough  in 
all  conscience.  But  if  the  bacon  is  badly  fried 
and  swimming  in  fat,  the  bread  new,  and  the 
toast  hot  and  soaked  in  butter,  it  is  not  surprising 
that  people  feel  v/retched  and  uncomfortable  for 
the  rest  of  the  morning. 

The  way  in  which  food  is  cooked  has  always  to 
be  taken  into  consideration.  Some  cooks  and 
housewives  have  a,  genius  for  spoiling  good  food, 
either  in  the  way  they  prepare  it  or  by  their 
neglect  to  clean  the  pots  and  pans.  Greasy 
saucepans  have  much  to  account  for. 

Sometimes,  however,  the  fault  lies  at  the  door 

of  the  person  concerned.     A  partiality  for  new 

bread,  and  an  unwillingness  to  give 

Classes  of    it  up  when  so  advised,  have  been  at 

food.        the  root  of  a  chronic  dyspepsia  with 

all  its  attendant  evils.     Articles  of 

diet  are  divided  into  four  classes  :  Proteids  or  meat 

foods,   carbohydrates  or  starchy,   oils  and  fats, 

water  and  other  liquids, 

Proteids  or  meat  foods,  include  fish,  fowl, 
butcher's  meat,  and  vegetables,  such  as  peas, 


£4  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

beans  and  lentils.     The  problem  of 
Meats.       meat,    and    particularly    butcher's 

meat,  is  a  vital  one  for  all  who  are 
getting  on  in  years.  So  long  as  people  have  no 
organic  disease  necessitating  special  diet  they 
cannot  go  far  wrong  in  regard  to  fowl,  fish, 
tongue,  ham  or  bacon.  It  is  a  different  matter 
when  we  come  to  deal  with  butcher's  meat,  for 
this  contains  a  large  proportion  of  fibre,  which 
constitutes  one  of  the  most  difficult  forms  of  waste 
matter  to  get  rid  of. 

And  the  ill-effects  of  this  waste  matter  are  more 
pronounced  as  people  get  older,  for  however 

healthy  they  may  be,  their  systems 

Meat  and     become  less  capable  of  eliminating 

gout.        it.     It  is  an  excellent  rule,  therefore, 

for  all  persons  approaching  middle 
age,  even  for  those  who  have  got  into  the  forties, 
to  reduce  their  allowance  of  butcher's  meat, 
especially  beef,  taking  it  no  oftener  than  once  a 
day,  and  preferably  at  midday  instead  of  in  the 
evening.  Digestion  goes  on  very  slowly,  if  at 
all,  during  the  hours  of  sleep,  and  the  habit  of 
eating  meat  at  late  dinner  or  supper  is  one  of  the 
chief  causes  tending  to  gout  and  rheumatism  of 
the  gouty  type. 

It  is  this  disease  in  some  phase  or  other  which 
is  the  starting-point  of  so  many  breakdowns  in 
health.  The  harmful  residue  in  the  system  affects 
almost  every  organ  and  tissue,  and  the  arteries  in 
particular.  Its  most  serious  effect  is  on  the 
vessels  of  the  kidney :  when  once  they  have 
become  thickened,  the  elimination  of  waste 


WHAT   TO   EAT.  55 

matter  is  reduced  to  dangerous  limits.  Then  the 
health  of  the  whole  system  is  imperilled,  for 
one  of  the  most  important  outlets  has  become 
blocked  up. 

Too  often  this  complication  means  the  beginning 
of  the  end,  the  onset  of  premature  old  age.     It  is 
on   this   account,    and   not   from   any   desire   to 
advocate  vegetarianism,  that  I  have  emphasised 
the    necessity    of    diminishing    the    quantity    of 
butcher's  meat,  once  the  period  of  early  manhood 
has  gone  past.     It  fact,  it  would  be  to  the  benefit 
of  all,  young  and  old  alike,  to  take  nothing  heavier 
than  fish  or  fowl  at  least  one  or  two  days  a  week. 
Carbohydrates  or  starchy  foods.     These  include 
bread,    sago,    tapioca,    rice,     and    underground 
vegetables  such  as  potatoes.    Bread 
Starchy       is  the  most  important  of  these.     It 
foods.        is  called  the  staff  of  life,  and  yet  it 
accounts  for  more  dyspepsia  than  all 
other  causes  put  together,  and  for  more  miserable- 
ness  than   all  the  incidental  troubles   and  mis- 
fortunes  of  life   in   one.     For   there   is   nothing 
which  depresses  a  man's  spirits  so  effectually  as 
dyspepsia,   and   an  overwhelming  proportion  of 
cases  of  this  complaint  are  due  to  the  imperfect 
digestion  of  starchy  foods,  of  which  bread  is  the 
most  common. 

Starchy  foods  are  dealt  with  by  the  saliva,  and 

this,    in    order   to   do   its   work   properly,    must 

penetrate    to    the    heart    of    the 

The          granules.     And  this  it  cannot  do  if 

saliva.       something  else  has  got  there  first. 

People    are   often    surprised   when 


56  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

they  get  indigestion  after  partaking  of  bread  and 
milk ;  that  is,  bread  soaked  in  hot  milk.  But  the 
milk  has  permeated  the  starch  granules,  and  as 
two  things  cannot  be  in  the  same  place  at  the 
same  time,  the  saliva  cannot  get  there. 

This  explains  why  bread  is  the  source  of  so 
much  discomfort.  For  bread,  as  it  is  usually 
made  in  this  country,  is  more  or  less  moist,  and 
consequently  the  saliva  has  the  same  difficulty  to 
encounter  as  in  the  case  of  bread  and  milk.  The 
water  has  arrived  first  and  keeps  the  saliva 
out.  If  the  process  were  carried  on  to  a 
further  and  drier  stage,  as  in  the  hardbake  of 
the  Colonial,  we  should  be  able  to  assimilate  it 
with  ease. 

We  are  apt  to  envy  the  Oriental  his  capacity 
for  digesting  starch.  Yet  his  powers  in  this 
direction  are  due  not  so  much  to  any  inherited 
faculty  on  his  part  as  to  the  way  in  which  the  rice 
is  cooked.  The  glutinous  material  on  the  outside 
of  the  granules  prevents  the  saliva  from  pene- 
trating. The  Oriental  gets  rid  of  it  by  washing 
the  rice  in  cold  water  half-way  through  the 
cooking,  rubbing  it  between  his  hands  at  the  same 
time.  The  writer  once  recommended  this  plan 
to  a  lady  who  complained  of  indigestion  after 
eating  rice,  and  told  her  that  if  she  insisted  on  its 
being  carried  out  she  would  have  no  further 
difficulty  in  the  matter.  She  replied  that  there 
would  be  a  great  difficulty — the  cook  would 
immediately  give  notice. 

Yet  if  these  hints  as  to  the  preparation  of 
starchy  foods  were  taken  advantage  of,  we  should 


WHAT  TO   EAT.  57 

hear  much  less  of  the  fermentative 

The  slow      dyspepsia  which  is  at   the  root  of 

poison  of     so  much  of  the  slow  poisoning  from 

dyspepsia,     which  many  people  suffer,  to  the 

detriment  of  their  general  health 

and  their  nervous  systems  in  particular. 

It  is  this  slow,  long-continued  poisoning  which 
undermines  the  nervous  system  and  lays  it  open 
to  attack  from  all  the  other  causes  that  predispose 
to  a  breakdown.  No  amount  of  inconvenience 
or  self-denial  is  too  great  that  can  lead  to  the 
avoidance  of  the  dyspepsia  which  causes  it.  And 
this  ailment  may  accompany  the  plainest  and 
simplest  of  diets,  if  they  are  taken  in  the  wrong 
way.  Space  would  not  permit  of  our  treating 
this  fully,  but  mention  will  be  made  of  two  or 
three  common  articles  of  diet  which  are  liable  to 
be  followed  by  indigestion. 

Apart   from    any   special   idiosyncrasy,    many 
people  suffer  from  nausea  or  some  other  form  of 
discomfort  after  taking  eggs.     It  is 
Eggs.         not  uncommon  to  hear  people  say 
that  they  can  take  them  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  da}/,  but  not  in  the  mornings,  without 
some  ill-effect.    If  that  is  so,  they  should  be  careful 
to  avoid  having  them  for  breakfast,  for  when  taken 
at  this  meal  they  are  often  responsible  for  head- 
aches which  come  on  in  the  course  of  the  morning. 
In  many  cases  these  bad  effects  can  be  avoided 
by   having   the   eggs   boiled   for   eight   minutes. 
This  prolonged  boiling  reduces  the  contents  to  a 
light   powder,    and   seems   to    get   rid   of    some 
element  that  is  of  a  poisonous  nature. 


68  ^  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

A  small  quantity  of  soup  is  beneficial  as  a 

preliminary  to  dinner.     If  a  man  is  tired  after  his 

day's     work     it     stimulates     the 

Soup.        digestion  and  puts  it  into  a  better 

condition  to  do  its  work.     On  the 

other  hand,  it  is  a  great  mistake  to  take  too  much 

of  it,  as  then  it  is  apt  to  swamp  the  stomach  with 

so   much  liquid   as   to   hinder  the   secretion   of 

gastric  juice. 

Some  people  can  digest  fat  who  cannot  take  oil 

without  becoming  bilious,  and  some  cannot  take 

either.     Yet  it  is  as  a  rule  the  very 

Fats  and     ones  who  cannot  take  one  or  the 

oils.         other  who  try  to  do  so,  in  spite  of 

their    aversion    for    it.     It    seems 

strange  that  it  is  stout  people  who  are  best  able 

to  digest  fat,  and  thin  ones  who  cannot  do  so. 

It  is  not  so  strange  after  all,  however,  for  the 

simple  reason  that  people  are  thin  because  they 

cannot  assimilate  fat. 

Yet  oftentimes  we  find  such  persons  persevering 
in  taking  fat  or  even  cod-liver  oil,  in  order  to  put 
on  flesh.     The  result  is,  in  many  instances,  that 
they  become  thinner  than  ever,  owing  to  their 
digestions  being  thrown  completely  out  of  order. 
Milk  is  the  ideal  food.     Yet  there  is  no  food, 
however  ideal,  which  can  be  regarded  as  universal. 
There  are  some  people,  and  not  a 
Milk.         few,  who  cannot  take  milk  without 
suffering  from  indigestion  or  bilious- 
ness.    Even     among     children     one     finds     this 
peculiarity    at    times ;     if    such    youngsters    are 
forced  to  drink  it,  they  are  upset  in  consequence.] 


WHAT   TO   EAT.  59 

This  is  often  due  to  the  fact  that  it  is  taken 
raw  and  undiluted.  There  is  a  widely-prevalent 
theory  to  the  effect  that  any  interference  with  the 
milk  in  its  natural  state  deprives  it  of  its  nutritive 
qualities.  This  is  not  the  case.  If  the  milk  is 
boiled,  for  instance,  a  certain  substance  which  it 
contains,  casein  by  name,  undergoes  a  change. 
Yet  it  is  this  casein  which  causes  the  curdling  of 
milk  that  is  prone  to  take  place  in  many  stomachs, 
producing  flatulence,  pain,  and  it  may  be  actual 
vomiting.  This  casein  is  nutritious  to  those 
whose  digestions  can  cope  with  it,  but  for  those 
who  cannot  digest  it  the  boiling  is  of  great 
advantage,  as  the  remaining  elements  of  the  milk 
become  more  nutritious  because  more  digestible. 

It  is  of  no  use  simply  to  heat  the  milk,  it  must 
be  actually  brought  to  the  boil.  If  the  taste  of 
it  in  this  form  is  objected  to,  this  can  be  overcome 
by  adding  a  little  sugar  or  salt,  or  a  flavouring  of 
nutmeg.  And  if  the  patients  do  not  care  for  it 
hot,  it  may  be  cooled  down  and  taken  cold  with 
or  without  soda-water. 

Sour  milk,  either  in  the  form  of  ordinary 
butter-milk  or  prepared  in  the  scientific  manner, 
is  one  of  the  healthiest  of  drinks.  It  has  been 
a  well-established  fact  for  many  years  that 
people  living  in  parts  of  the  country  where  the 
drinking  of  butter  -  milk  is  in  vogue  are 
exceptionally  healthy.  This  led  to  the  researches 
which  culminated  in  the  sour  milk  treatment, 
which  came  so  much  to  the  front  a  few  years  ago. 
It  was  a  valuable  discovery,  for  many  of  us  are 
so  situated  that  we  cannot  get  butter-milk. 


60  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

Also,  the  scientific  way  of  preparing  it  is  much 
cleaner  and  more  satisfactory  than  the  old  crude 
one,  which  was  liable  to  implant  other  and  less 
desirable  germs  in  our  inside  along  with  the 
health-giving  ones. 

When  this  treatment  came  into  vogue  we  were 
all  to  lose  our  aches  and  pains,  and  enjoy  robust 
health  or  something  approaching  it.  Already,  in 
this  short  time,  the  method  has  fallen  almost  into 
disrepute.  And  simply,  so  people  said,  because 
it  did  not  do  what,  it  professed.  In  this  they 
did  it  a  great  injustice.  If  it  did  not  do  what 
it  professed  to  accomplish  it  was  only  because 
it  did  not  have  a  chance.  If  people  continue  to 
eat  all  sorts  of  unsuitable  things  and  bolt  them 
down,  they  need  not  expect  to  whitewash  their 
insides  by  taking  sour  milk  on  the  top  of  an 
injudicious  diet.  Like  a  good  many  other 
adjuncts  to  health,  it  has  to  be  taken  with  a  grain, 
not  of  salt  but  of  sound  common  sense. 

People  are  often  perplexed  on  the  question  of 
sauces,  as  to  whether  they  are  harmful  or  other- 
wise, A  rich,  oily  sauce  is  only 
Sauces.  too  likely  to  cause  dyspepsia,  but 
a  flavouring  of  what  we  might  term 
a  "  clean  "  sauce  is  often  an  aid  to  digestion. 
For  in  spite  of  all  that  has  been  said  and  written 
on  the  subject  of  plain  foods,  there  is  no  doubt 
that  if  a  taste  is  pleasant  it  tends  to  stimulate 
the  flow  of  saliva  and  gastric  juice.  There  is  a 
scientific  foundation  for  the  saying,  "  It  makes 
my  mouth  water/1 

The  main  disadvantages  of  sauces  and  spices 


WHAT  TO   EAT.  61 

is  that  if  used  to  excess  they  are  apt  to  increase 
the  appetite  more  than  they  stimulate  the  gastric 
juice,  and  so  lead  to  more  food  being  taken  than 
can  be  digested. 

After  all,  hunger  is  the  best  sauce,  and  the  man 
who  has  earned  his  meal  by  work  or  exercise  has 
little  need  of  artificial  aids  and  flavourings. 

A  vast  amount  of  evil  has  been  attributed 

to  the  use  of  tea.     To    a   certain    extent    this 

condemnation  is  true.      Yet  it  is 

Tea.         not  so  much  the  tea  itself  as  the 

way  in  which  it  is  made  and  the 

conditions  under  which  it  is  taken  that  are  to  be 

blamed  for  the  mischief. 

If  allowed  to -stand  stewing  for  long  it  is  nothing 
short  of  a  poison.  For  then  it  is  converted  into  a 
concentrated  extract  of  tannin,  which  has  a  most 
irritating  effect  on  the  wall  of  the  stomach, 
producing  a  secretion  of  acid  liquid,  causing 
heartburn  and  perhaps  injuring  the  delicate 
mucous  membrane  to  the  point  of  ulceration. 

There  is  also  another  deleterious  substance 
present  called  thein,  and  this  has  a  specially 
pernicious  influence  on  the  nervous  system  when 
taken  in  excess.  If  tea  is  drunk  within  a  few 
minutes  of  being  made  there  is  just  enough  of 
this  alkaloid  to  produce  a  pleasant,  refreshing 
effect  without  any  harm  being  done.  Yet  even 
when  prepared  in  this  way,  but  taken  too  fre- 
quently, the  accumulated  effect  of  repeated  small 
doses  is  as  injurious  as  a  large  one,  causing 
nervous  irritability  and  sleeplessness. 

In  many  instances  the  harm  of  tea-drinking  lies 


62  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

in  the  fact  of  its  being  taken  at  wrong  times. 
The  custom  of  drinking  it  after  a  meal  such  as 
dinner  is  a  bad  one,  as  it  retards  the  flow  of 
gastric  juice. 

Of  all  pernicious  customs  there  is  none  more 
to  be  deprecated  than  that  of  high  tea,  as  it  is 
called.  It  is  a  sociable  meal,  but  a  deadly  one. 
Many  of  us  look  back  with  a  shudder  to  an  array 
of  sardines,  tongue,  ham  or  fish,  followed  by  bread 
and  butter  with  two  sorts  of  jam,  buns  and  cakes 
of  all  sorts,  washed  down  with  copious  draughts 
of  strong  tea 

The  use  of  tea,  as  opposed  to  its  abuse  or  misuse, 
is  highly  beneficial  to  the  system.  There  is  no 
remedy  equal  to  it  for  a  tired  headache.  It 
washes  out  the  stomach  and  gives  it  a  fresh  start 
for  the  next  meal.  A  cup  of  tea  in  the  early 
morning  will  often  enable  a  better  breakfast  to 
be  taken,  and  one  in  the  afternoon  between  four 
and  five  o'clock  helps  to  complete  the  digestion 
of  the  midday  meal. 

Furthermore,  it  serves  a  good  purpose  in  making 
the  blood  circulate  more  freely  and  in  dilating 
the  vessels  of  the  skin,  thus  assisting  in  the 
elimination  of  waste  matter.  In  this  respect  it 
is  much  better  adapted  than  cold  drinks,  in  hot 
weather,  particularly  for  those  engaged  in  active 
outdoor  games,  such  as  tennis/  For  it  makes  a 
more  efficient  thirst-quencher,  and  by  flushing  out 
the  tissues  helps  to  prevent  the  onset  of  fatigue. 

Have  it  freshly  made,  take  it  in  moderation, 
and  it  will  never  do  any  harm.  Especially  is  this 
the  case  with  China  tea,  if  taken  in  preference  to 


WHAT   TO   EAT.  63 

Indian,  for  it  does  not  injure  the  stomach  or  the 
nerves  in  the  way  that  the  latter  is  apt  to  do. 

Coffee  does  not  as  a  rule  tend  to  cause  indigestion 
or  affect  the  nerves  ;  its  ill-effects  are  due  to  the 
fact  of  its  causing  biliousness. 
Coffee.  People  of  what  is  known  as  a 
"  livery  "  type  had  better  avoid  it 
altogether,  if  they  have  found  it  to  have  this 
result.  Yet  they  might  as  well  ascertain  first  as 
to  whether  it  was  the  coffee  or  the  milk  which  they 
took  with  it  which  accounted  for  their  discomfort. 
It  is  a  mystery  as  to  why  people,  who  cannot  on 
their  own  assertion  take  hot  milk  without  up- 
setting their  livers,  should  drink  it  when  its  taste 
is  disguised  by  that  of  coffee.  The  milk  is  there 
just  the  same,  and  the  after-effects  are  bound  to 
be  as  bad  as  if  taken  by  itself. 

Let  such  persons  take  their  coffee  thin,  making 
it  with  water,  and  adding  only  as  much  milk  as 
they  would  put  into  their  tea,  and  it  will  probably 
turn  out  that  they  can  take  it  without  any  bad 
after-effects. 

There  is  one  form,  however,  in  which  this 
beverage  is  harmful.  That  is  in  the  form  of 
black  coffee.  When  taken  in  this  form  it  certainly 
causes  indigestion  as  well  as  biliousness.  Some 
of  the  most  persistent  causes  of  dyspepsia, 
especially  that  which  is  most  pronounced  on 
waking  up  in  the  morning,  are  due  entirely  to 
tha  habit  of  drinking  black  coffee  after  dinner 
in  the  evenings.  And  the  taste  is  evidently  a 
seductive  one,  for  there  is  no  habit,  not  even  that 
of  alcohol,  more  difficult  to  eradicate.  Yet  until 


64  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

the  use  of  coffee  in  this  form  is  given  up,  the 
dyspepsia  will  most  surely  persist. 

The  amount  of  liquid  consumed  in  the  twenty* 
four  hours  is  one  of  the  most  important  questions 
in  connection  with  diet,  especially 
Water.  for  anyone  suffering  from  head- 
aches, rheumatic  pains,  malaise, 
undue  fatigue,  and  a  variety  of  suchlike  com- 
plaints, "  minor  ailments "  as  they  are  called. 
These  ailments  are  anything  but  minor,  we  may 
observe,  in  regard  to  the  amount  of  suffering 
they  cause,  and  the  train  of  symptoms  and 
diseases  to  which  they  lead. 

Without  a  sufficient  quantity  of  liquids  the 
waste  matter  in  the  tissues  is  apt  to  become  too 
condensed,  and  on  this  account  less  able  to  reach 
the  eliminatory  organs,  whose  function  it  is  to 
throw  it  off.  It  not  uncommonly  happens  that 
a  man  will  consult  a  doctor,  complaining  that  he 
is  suffering  from  pains  in  his  limbs,  either  in  the 
muscles  or  the  joints  or  both,  also  from  a  constant 
dull  headache  and  sense  of  tiredness.  He  fears 
that  he  is  on  the  verge  of  rheumatic  fever,  and  it 
is  not  improbable  that  that  is  exactly  what  he  is. 
On  inquiry  it  turns  out  that  he  has  been  in  the 
habit  of  taking  very  little  liquid  either  with 
meals  or  between  them.  He  is  told  to  take  an 
extra  quart,  two  if  possible,  a  day.  Then  it  often 
happens  that  in  a  week  or  two  all  his  symptoms 
have  disappeared,  and  he  is  capable  of  as  much 
exertion  as  he  ever  was. 

The  liquid  may  be  taken  in  any  form,  hot  or 
cold,  or  in  tea,  coffee,  lemon  water  or  any  other 


WHAT  TO   EAT.  65 

beverage  the  person  may  prefer.  It  does  not 
matter  how  it  is  taken,  so  long  as  it  gets  into  the 
system. 

So  much  has  been  written  and  spoken  on  the 

subject  of  alcohol,  that   it   would   seem   almost 

unnecessary  to  discuss  it  fully  here. 

Alcohol.  Ten  or  fifteen  years  ago  the  necessity 
would  have  been  vastly  more 
pressing  than  it  is  to-day.  For  no  change  is 
more  remarkable  than  that  which  has  come  over 
public  opinion  on  this  topic  of  recent  years.  For 
nearly  a  century  temperance  reformers  have  been 
combating  the  moral  effect  of  strong  drink. 
Then  the  medical  aspect  of  the  question  came 
to  the  fore,  and  the  moderate  drinker  began  to 
wonder  if  the  matter  did  not  apply  to  himself  as 
well  as  to  the  drunkard. 

Excess  is  a  matter  of  personal  equation,  and 
many  men  who  have  always  considered  them- 
selves strictly  temperate  have  begun  to  realise 
that  while  the  amount  they  were  taking  was  not 
sufficient  to  affect  their  moral  fibre,  it  was  too 
much  so  far  as  their  bodily  health  was  concerned. 
Consequently  a  welcome  improvement  has  been 
manifest  in  the  drinking  habits  of  the  community. 
The  growth  of  athletics  has  no  doubt  had  much 
to  do  with  this  change. 

It  may  be,  too,  that  the  attitude  of  the  medical 
profession  has  had  a  share.  Twenty  or  thirty 
years  ago  it  was  a  dangerous  thing  for  a  doctor 
to  tell  a  patient  to  reduce  his  ration  of  alcohol. 
Now  the  profession  gives  its  orders  on  the  point 
with  as  little  hesitation  as  it  exhibits  in  ordering 
6 


66  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

a  diet.  And  the  public  has  shown  its  appreciation 
of  this  fact  in  the  view  it  has  taken.  Once  a 
doctor  who  did  not  order  wine  during  con- 
valescence was  looked  upon  as  a  faddist.  Now 
he  is  regarded  as  old-fashioned  if  he  does  so, 
unless  there  is  some  special  reason  for  it. 

While  reserving  for  every  man  the  right  of  his 
own  opinions  as  to  alcohol  as  a  beverage,  medical 
men  rarely  order  it  save  as  a  drug,  as  in  the 
administration  of  brandy  in  acute  illness 

Perhaps  the  most  significant  proof  of  the 
change  in  public  opinion  is  the  fact  that  many 
patients  now  ask  a  doctor,  not  which  form  of 
alcohol  is  "  the  best  for  them,"  but  which  "  will 
do  them  the  least  harm." 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

HOW   TO   EAT   FOOD. 

THIS  is  even  more  important  than  the  nature  of 
the  food  itself.     The  great  majority  of  digestive 

troubles  are  due  to  the  habit  of 
Mastication,  taking     food     too     quickly,     and 

imperfectly  masticating  it.  It  is 
surprising  what  people  can  eat  with  impunity 
provided  they  take  it  slowly  and  chew  it  until 
if  is  reduced  to  a  fine  pulp,  almost  a  liquid  in  fact, 
in  the  mouth.  When  staying  at  an  hotel  some 
time  ago  I  met  a  gentleman  of  seventy  who  told 
me  that  he  had  never  known  all  his  life  what  it 
was  to  have  a  pain  or  a  discomfort  in  his  stomach. 
And  his  looks  bore  out  his  statement.  Yet  he 
would  take  most  things  that  were  set  before  him, 
but  he  ate  them  with  a  deliberation  that  is  seldom 
met  with  nowadays. 

One  has  only  to  go  into  any  restaurant  to  see 
crowds  of  men  eating  their  food  like  ostriches, 
but  without  the  digestion  of  an  ostrich  to  deal 
with  it  after  it  has  been  swallowed.  The  rush 
and  hurry  of  these  days  have  caused  meal-times 
to  be  looked  upon  as  necessary  nuisances,  an 
unavoidable  interference  with  the  day's  work, 
rather  than  as  a  vitally-important  function,  and 
an  opportunity  for  a  congenial  rest.  Men  get 
into  such  a  habit  of  hurrying  when  at  their 

67 


68  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

business,  that  they  attack  their  meals  in  the  same 
manner,  whether  there  be  any  need  for  haste  or 
not.  And  if  the  urgency  of  their  work  is  such  as 
to  curtail  the  time  required  for  lunch  or  dinner, 
it  would  do  them  far  less  harm  and  vastly  more 
good  to  take  half  the  meal  quietly  instead  of 
bolting  the  whole  lot.  Every  bite  that  is 
swallowed  without  being  masticated  is  a  nail  in 
a  man's  coffin.  And  as  we  have  seen  already,  this 
applies  to  soft  foods  as  well  as  to  those  which  are 
of  a  more  substantial  nature. 

When  mastication  is  imperfect  the  starchy 
foods  do  riot  get  their  meed  of  saliva,  and  when 
meaty  ones  are  taken  in  the  same  way,  they  are 
swallowed  in  too  solid  a  form  to  be  acted  on  by 
the  gastric  juices  in  the  stomach.  Indigestion 
results,  and  this  means  that  the  eatables  lose  their 
power  of  nourishment,  and,  what  is  even  worse, 
become  tainted  with  poison.  Then  there  is  not 
only  trouble  in  the  present,  but  even  greater 
trouble  in  the  remote  future,  which,  if  it  gets 
beyond  a  certain  stage,  may  baffle  all  the  resources 
of  medicine  to  put  it  right. 

Yet  few  people  will  acknowledge  to  this  bad 
habit.  It  is  only  when  they  are  persuaded  to 
take  special  notice  of  their  manner  of  eating  that 
they  can  be  convinced  of  the  fact.  They  resent 
the  imputation  that  they  are  eating  incorrectly. 
"  We  always  live  on  plain,  healthy  food/'  they 
say.  Quite  so ;  but  the  healthiest  food  can 
become  a  menace  if  taken  in  the  wrong  fashion. 
They  scoff  at  the  people  who  go  in  for  a  number 
of  courses  calling  them  gourmands.  Yet  many 


HOW   TO   EAT   FOOD.  69 

a  man  who  takes  a  simple  dinner,  meat  and 
vegetables  followed  by  pudding,  actually  takes 
more  than  those  who  indulge  in  a  greater  variety 
of  courses,  but  much  smaller  ones. 

Strange  to  say,  many  people  who  often  suffer 

from  indigestion  after  their  simple  fare  at  home 

can    go    through   an   hotel    menu 

Intervals      without  any  bad  after-effects.     It 

between      is   because   the   latter   provides   a 

bites.         greater  number  of  intervals.    When 

people  are  taking  their  two-course 

dinner  in  their  own  homes  they  are  eating  all  the 

time,  except  for  the  interval  between  the  meat 

and  the  sweet  course.     The  action  of  the  stomach 

is  very  much  like  that  of  a  concertina.     It  needs 

to  contract  and  expand  regularly,   and  if  little 

interval  is  allowed  to  elapse,  it  does  not  have  the 

chance  of  doing  so. 

This  concertina  motion  also  demands  an  interval 
between  the  separate  bites,  arid  it  gets  it  if  the 
diner  has  company,  and  is  obliged  to  converse 
during  the  meal.  If  it  is  eaten  in  silence,  as 
happens  in  the  case  of  those  condemned  to  live 
alone,  these  intervals  are  lacking.  In  suth  a  case 
the  only  remedy  is  to  be  found  in  reading  a  book 
or  paper  while  taking  the  meal.  It  requires  a 
tremendous  force  of  will  for  a  man  to  eat  carefully 
and  slowly  when  alone.  He  gets  tired  of  the 
sound  of  his  own  jaws.  If  he  is  occupied  in 
reading,  he  is  much  more  likely  to  take  his  food 
in  a  more  leisurely  manner. 

There  is  no  habit  more  difficult  to  eradicate 
than  this  of  rapid  eating,  and  it  needs  constant 


70  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

care  and  attention,  and  we  might  add  "  practice/' 
to  get  rid  of  it.  The  point  is  to  avoid  drinking 
too  much  liquid  with  the  meal,  and  never  to  drink 
until  the  food  has  been  swallowed.  Otherwise  it 
is  washed  down  before  it  is  in  a  fit  state. 

It  is  many  years  since  a  well-known  physician 
advocated  the  custom  of  taking  thirty-two  bites 
at  each  mouthful  before  swallowing  it.  He 
probably  selected  this  figure  as  representing  the 
total  number  of  teeth  in  the  adult  jaws.  Yet 
twenty-two  would  probably  do  as  well.  It  does 
not  follow  that  if  this  plan  is  adopted  we  shall 
have  to  go  on  counting  at  each  meal  for  the 
remainder  of  our  lives.  The  habit  of  mastication 
would  soon  become  so  automatic  that  we  should 
not  need  to  think  about  it  at  all. 

Another  point  to  keep  in  mind  is  to  put  down 
the  knife  and  fork  or  spoon  between  the  separate 
bites.  This  is  of  great  importance,  as  it  ensures 
the  requisite  interval  being  obtained. 

An  excellent  plan  is  to  eat  hard  crusts  without 
taking  any  liquid.  It  is  impossible  to  swallow 
crusts  until  they  are  thoroughly  masticated,  at 
any  rate  without  suffering  pain  in  the  throat.  A 
little  practice  at  this  each  day  will  soon  inculcate 
the  habit  of  eating  other  kinds  of  food  in  a  proper 
manner. 

In  the  case  of  children,  and  perhaps  of  adults 
also,  a  good  method  is  to  insist  on  all  food  being 
taken  with  a  teaspoon.  This  will  generally  be 
found  efficacious. 

Whatever  method  is  adopted,  nearly  all  cases 
of  dyspepsia,  except  those  due  to  some  disease 


HOW  TO   EAT   FOOD.  71 

of  the  stomach,  can  be  cured  by  this  means 
alone. 

One   essential,   however,   is  the   possession   of 

good,  sound  teeth.     And  no  artificial  teeth  that 

were  ever  made  are  equal  to  the 

Sound        natural  ones.     Every  effort  should 

teeth.        be    made,  therefore,   to   keep   the 

latter  as  long  as  possible. 

This  can  be  done  only  by  frequent  brushing. 
People  sometimes  ask  whether  they  should  brush 
their  teeth  in  the  mornings  or  the  evenings. 
There  is  only  one  answer,  "  Both."  We  might 
also  say,  "  And  after  each  meal  in  addition."  It 
is  very  little  trouble,  for  it  takes  but  half  a  minute 
at  the  outside.  And  it  is  well  worth  doing  this, 
if  it  means  that  the  teeth  can  be  preserved. 

There  is  nothing  so  good  as  a  powder  to  clean 
the  teeth,  the  mechanical  friction  removes  the 
particles  of  food  more  efficiently  than  any  liquid 
or  paste  can  do. 

Of  course,  if  the  teeth  are  really  bad  they  are 
better  taken  out  and  supplanted  by  artificial 
ones.  Yet  at  the  best  these  are  like  crutches ; 
we  must  have  them  if  we  cannot  walk  without 
their  aid,  but  that  is  the  most  that  can  be  said 
for  them. 

Sound,  healthy  teeth  are  important  for  more 
reasons  than  that  of  mastication.  For  if  they 
are  allowed  to  get  into  a  bad  condition,  a  virulent 
poison  is  developed  in  their  sockets,  which 
destroys  the  virtues  of  the  saliva,  and  also  gets 
down  into  the  stomach,  still  further  hindering 
digestion.  And  its  evil  deeds  do  not  end  in  this, 


72  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

for  it  is  absorbed  into  the  system,  every  part  and 
organ  of  which  feels  the  effects  of  its  baneful 
influence. 

It  is  only  by  constant  and  scrupulous  care  that 
this  disease,  pyorrhoea  by  name,  can  be  prevented 
in  the  case  of  those  whose  teeth  are  in  an  unsatis- 
factory condition.  And  if  they  have  got  to  this 
stage  of  decay,  it  is  infinitely  better  to  have  them 
all  out.  For  it  is  not  a  disease  which  acts  by  fits 
and  starts.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  there,  like 
a  lurking  demon,  working  its  subtle  process  of 
pollution  all  the  time,  night  and  day  alike.  And 
while  it  is  better  to  have  natural  teeth  than 
artificial  ones,  the  latter  are  vastly  to  be  preferred 
to  a  poison  manufactory. 

It  is  just  because  of  the  persistent  way  in  which 
this  mischief  acts  that  it  forms  one  of  the  deadliest 
foes  against  which  the  human  body  has  to  contend. 
Its  malign  influence  is  so  continuous  and  so  all- 
pervading  that  it  becomes  one  of  the  most  potent 
factors  in  predisposing  to  breakdowns.  No 
sacrifice,  either  of  time  or  money,  is  too  great 
that  will  help  to  prevent  it  or  keep  it  in  check. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

HOW   MUCH   FOOD   TO   TAKE. 

SPEAKING  generally,  the  amount  should  be 
sufficient  to  keep  the  body  well  and  active,  but 
not  to  load  it  up  with  more  than  it  can  get  rid 
of. 

As  to  the  actual  amount,  there  is  no  guide  save 

that    of    personal    requirements.      Some    people 

need  more  than  others,  and  without 

Personal      any  reference   to   the   size  of  the 

require-      individual.     A  little  man  may  easily 

ments.        require  twice  as  much  as  a  big  one. 

It  depends  on  the  rate  at  which  his 

system  burns  it  up.     It  is  of  no  use,  therefore,  to 

judge  of  our  own  needs  by  those  of  other  people. 

A  noted  big  game  hunter  is  said  to  be  able  to  take 

three  full-course  dinners  in  immediate  succession, 

without    the     slightest    inconvenience    or     any 

apparent  detriment  to  his  health.     Such  persons 

can  be  regarded  only  as  freaks,  and  any  attempt 

on  the  part  of  others  to  imitate  their  example 

would  lead  to  disaster.     For  we  could  no  more 

follow  his  lead  in  this  respect  than  we  could  do- 

what  he  is  also  capable  of,  namely  to  go  for  three 

days  and  nights  without  food  or  drink,  and  feel 

no  worse  for  so  doing. 

Appetite  will  usually  be  found  a  sound  guide,. 


74  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

provided  that  it  is  not  satisfied  to  the  point  of 
repletion.  It  is  always  well  to  eat 

Appetite,  steadily  and  moderately,  following 
the  time-worn  plan  of  rising  from 
the  table  feeling  as  if  you  could  eat  more.  Some- 
times a  man  will  sit  down  as  hungry  as  a  hunter, 
attacking  his  viands  with  avidity.  Two  hours 
later  he  wishes  that  he  had  not.  He  has  taken 
more  than  his  digestion  can  cope  with,  and  the 
result  is  that  for  a  day  or  two  afterwards  he  can 
scarcely  eat  anything.  If  there  is  an  excess  of 
appetite,  so  to  speak,  left  over,  it  will  keep  until 
the  next  meal.  Regularity  in  amount,  as  well  as 
in  times  of  feeding,  is  essential  to  health. 

As  a  rule  people  eat  too  much,  and  need  to  be 
reminded  of  the  fact,  tactfully  of  course.  It  is 
astonishing  to  watch  the  improvement  in  health 
and  energy  which  often  follows  a  reduction  in 
the  amount  of  food  taken.  Many  listless,  tired 
patients  become  bright  and  vigorous  after  they 
have  been  persuaded  to  adopt  this  course.  It  is 
not  uncommon  to  see  thin  people  who  have  been 
overfed  by  their  anxious  relatives,  and  have 
become  sallow  and  dyspeptic  in  consequence. 
In  such  cases  it  is  difficult  to  convince  the 
individual  himself,  and  still  harder  to  convince 
his  friends,  that  he  will  not  become  thinner  if  he 
takes  less  food.  Yet  practical  experience  has 
shown  that  he  not  only  fails  to  lose  weight,  but 
in  many  cases  even  puts  it  on. 

A  physician  once  experimented  with  two  men 
•of  this  type,  pallid,  seedy  young  fellows,  both  of 
them.  He  kept  them  under  his  care  for  six 


HOW  MUCH   FOOD   TO   TAKE.  75 

months,  giving  them  one-third  the  amount  of 
food  they  had  been  accustomed  to,  and  making 
them  take  three  times  as  long  in  eating  it.  By 
the  end  of  tnat  period  they  had  grown  into 
strong,  lusty  chaps,  two  stone  in  weight  heavier, 
and  with  a  fine  healthy  colouring  in  their  cheeks. 

The  average  diet  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  is  vastly 

in  excess  of  his  needs.     Especially  does  this  refer 

to  the   amount  of  food  taken  on 

Excess  of  Sundays.  Why  we  should  choose 
food.  to  celebrate  the  Sabbath  by  eating 
more  and  taking  less  exercise  is  a 
mystery.  We  often  meet  with  people  who 
complain  of  feeling  "  Mondayish/'  as  they  call 
it.  They  think  it  is  due  to  the  reaction  consequent 
on  resuming  the  week's  work,  whereas  it  is  nothing 
more  than  the  fact  of  their  having  eaten  too  much 
on  the  previous  day.  For  many  people  who  are 
abstemious  enough  during  the  week-days  take 
more  at  every  meal  on  Sundays.  They  have 
something  extra  for  breakfast,  and  take  it  at  a 
later  hour  than  usual ;  they  have  a  hearty  dinner 
midday,  and  take  cake  and  jam  for  tea,  completing 
the  day  by  a  hearty  supper,  in  which  cold  meat 
and  pickles  generally  take  a  large  share.  And 
all  "  because  it  is  Sunday. " 

Now  if  such  persons  can  be  prevailed  upon  to 
make  a  light  breakfast,  eat  moderately  at  dinner, 
limit  their  food  at  tea  to  a  biscuit  or  a  piece  of 
bread  and  butter,  and  finish  up  with  a  rational 
supper,  they- will  find  that  on  Monday  mornings 
they  are  as  fresh  as  on  an}/  other  day  of  the  week  ; 
in  fact,  probably  much  fresher.  It  would  be  a 


76  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

good  thing  for  the  community  if  people  would 
make  Sunday  a  day  of  rest  in  regard  to  diet  as 
well  as  other  things. 

In  speaking  of  butcher's  meat,  we  pointed  out 

that  less  of  this  is  necessary  in  the  case  of  people 

approaching     middle     age.       The 

Diet  at       same  remark  applies,   though  not 

middle  age.  with  the  same  urgency  perhaps,  to 

food  of  all  sorts.     As  people  grow 

older  the  system  loses  some  of  its  power  of  throwing 

off  the  residue  of  waste  matter,  and  it  is  of  vital 

importance,  therefore,  that  people  should  exercise 

even  more  care  and  discrimination  than  at  any 

previous  period  in  their  lives. 

Yet  as  a  rule  they  tend  to  eat  more  rather  than 
less.  And  the  consequent  strain  upon  the  system 
is  the  starting-point  of  many  a  breakdown.  For 
not  only  is  the  system  less  capable  of  eliminating 
the  waste,  but  the  various  organs  have  less  power 
to  support  each  other  when  any  of  them  suffer 
in  consequence  of  the  extra  effort  demanded  of 
them. 

The  question  of  a  suitable  diet  for  stout  people 

is  one  that  bulks  largely  in  the  mind  of  the  public 

to-day.     At  one  time  the  neurotic 

Diet  for      patient  was  always  supposed  to  be 

the  obese,    thin.     It  was  the  fat  ones  who  kept 

people  alive  and  in  a  good  humour. 

It  was  all  a  myth,  of  course,  and  there  was  no 

truth  in  it.     It  is  all  very  well  to  talk  about 

"  Laugh  and  grow  fat,"  but  whether  fat  people 

are  addicted  to  laughing  is  another  matter.     For 

gradually  it  began  to  dawn  upon  the  world  that 


HOW   MUCH   FOOD   TO   TAKE.  77 

they  were  rather  a  heavy,  stolid  set  of  folk 
after  all. 

Then,  to  its  surprise,  it  found  that  stout  people 
are  more  liable  to  neurasthenia  than  thin  ones. 
In  any  medical  paper  to-day  you  are  almost 
sure  to  see  an  article  on  neurasthenia  and 
obesity. 

The  result  of  all  this  has  been  that  there  are 
more  people  wanting  to  get  thin  than  thin  people 
desirous  of  getting  stout.  The  question  is  how 
they  are  to  do  it.  It  is  generally  supposed  that 
it  can  only  be  achieved  by  eating  less.  This  is 
quite  correct  in  one  way.  They  must  eat  less, 
but  of  certain  articles  of  diet.  It  does  not  follow 
that  they  must  always  rise  from  the  table  craving 
for  food.  It  is  a  healthy  custom,  as  we  have 
pointed  out,  for  people  to  get  up  from  the  table 
feeling  that  they  could  take  more,  but  for  some 
to  be  doomed  constantly  to  leave  their  meals  as 
hungry  as  when  they  sat  down  would  be  a  hard- 
ship that  few  would  submit  to. 

Fortunately  this  is  not  necessary.  It  is  not  so 
much  the  quantity  of  food  as  its  quality  which 
accounts  for  putting  on  flesh.  There  are  certain 
articles  which  are  fattening,  not  only  because  of 
what  they  consist  of  in  themselves,  but  also 
because  they  tend  to  make  other  items  give  up 
the  fat  they  contain.  The  important  point  is  to 
avoid  these  foods.  It  must  be  made  clear, 
however,  that  a  certain  amount  of  laxity  may  be 
allowed.  There  may  be  some  of  FalstafFs 
dimensions  who  may  find  it  necessary  to  carry 
out  the  diet  to  the  letter.  It  may  be  a  matter 


78  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

of  urgency,  perhaps  of  life  itself,  that  they  should 
be  brought  down  in  weight,  and  without  any  loss 
of  time. 

But  there  are  others  who  feel  that  a  certain 
reduction  is  desirable,  but  not  to  the  same  degree 
as  these  others.  And  such  people,  while  following 
the  general  principles,  need  not  deny  themselves 
so  completely  as  the  stouter  ones. 

Speaking  generally,  the  foods  which  tend  to 
put  on  weight  are  the  starches,  such  as  bread  and 
potatoes,  sugars  and  fats.  The  following  list 
contains  firstly  those  articles  which  have  this 
tendency,  and  then  those  which  can  be  taken  with 
impunity. 

Articles  to  be  avoided. — Cream  and  butter. 
Bread,  teacakes,  scones  and  cake  of  all  sorts. 
Porridge.  The  fat  of  bacon,  ham  or  any  other 
meat.  Eggs.  Red  fish,  as  salmon  and  mullet. 
Potatoes,  turnips,  carrots,  parsnips,  artichokes 
and  all  other  root  vegetables.  Puddings  of  all 
kinds.  Pastry,  sweets,  jellies,  jam  and  sugar. 
Apples,  pears  and  bananas. 

The  following  may  be  taken. — Tea  and  coffee  ^but 
not  cocoa).  Milk  in  strict  moderation.  Dry 
biscuits,  such  as  cracknel.  Lean  ham,  bacon^ 
tongue,  white  fish,  thin  soup,  fowl  and  game,  and 
the  lean  of  butcher's  meat.  Green  vegetables, 
cabbage,  cauliflower,  spinach,  tomatoes,  peas,, 
beans,  asparagus.  Cheese  may  be  permitted  in 
small  quantities. 

Water  should  be  taken  apart  from  meals.  If 
taken  hot  before  meals  it  has  a  reducing  and 
beneficial  effect. 


HOW  MUCH   FOOD   TO   TAKE.  79> 

It  will  be  seen  from  this  list  that  there  is 
no  reason  why  anyone  wishful  to  reduce  their 
weight  need  complain  of  a  lack  of  food  where- 
with to  satisfy  their  appetites.  Yet,  if  adhered 
to,  the  diet  rarely  fails  to  bring  about  the 
desired  result. 


CHAPTER    X. 

WHEN   TO   TAKE   FOOD 

PUNCTUALITY  at  meals  is  absolutely  essential  for 
the  maintenance  of  good  health.     The  stomach 

gets  into  the  habit  of  secreting  its 
Punctuality,  digestive  juices  at  certain  times,  as 

meals  fall  due.  If  it  does  not  meet 
with  the  food  it  has  come  to  act  upon,  it  will 
seize  upon  the  stomach  wall  and  cause  pain  and 
a  nauseous  sense  of  sinking.  And  these  sensations 
will  probably  be  followed  by  a  headache,  for  the 
gastric  juice,  which  is  one  of  our  vital  agents,  is 
nothing  less  than  an  irritant  poison  if  it  has  no 
work  to  do.  It  is  like  a  man  loitering  about  an 
office  or  workshop  when  trade  is  slack.  He  has 
gone  there  to  work,  and  when  he  finds  nothing  to 
•do  except  to  hang  around  and  put  in  time  as  best 
he  can,  he  becomes  dissatisfied. 

More  than  that,  it  is  only  too  likely  that  if  this 
goes  on  for  several  days  the  man  will  fail  to  turn 
up  one  morning.  As  there  is  nothing  for  him  to 
occupy  his  time  with,  he  thinks  he  might  as  well 
stay  away.  And  that  is  exactly  what  the  gastric 
juice  does  under  similar  circumstances.  If 
people  have  been  accustomed  to  take  dinner  at 
one  o'clock  each  day,  and  for  several  days  in 
succession  turn  up  an  hour  late,  they  will  find  that 
they  begin  to  suffer  from  indigestion.  The  gastric 

80 


WHEN   TO   TAKE   FOOD.  81 

juice  has  got  tired  of  making  its  appearance  at 
the  proper  time  ;  as  it  has  been  treated  with 
contempt,  it  takes  its  revenge  by  staying  away. 
There  is  a  form  of  gastric  derangement  known  as 
Commercial  Traveller's  Dyspepsia,  which  is  due 
solely  to  the  fact  that  with  these  members  of  the 
community  meal-times  must  be  constantly  varied, 
owing  to  the  exigencies  of  their  work,  and  the 
vagaries  of  railway  trains. 

Of  course,  it  may  be  necessary  at  times  to  make 
an  alteration  in  a  meal  hour.  When  the  light 
summer  evenings  come,  many  people  prefer  to 
change  the  hour  of  the  evening  meal,  in  order  to 
enjoy  walks  or  outdoor  games.  If,  however,  the 
new  hour  is  adhered  to,  the  stomach  soon  learns 
to  adapt  itself  to  the  change.  It  is  the  constant 
chopping  and  changing  about  from  day  to  day 
that  has  such  a  pernicious  effect  on  the  system. 

There  is  another  member  of  the  community 
who  is  liable  to  suffer  from  the  consequences  of 
irregularity  in  regard  to  the  midday  meal.  It  is 
the  woman  whose  husband  cannot  get  home  to 
lunch,  so  that  she  is  left  to  take  it  alone,  unless 
she  has  children  to  cater  for.  We  confess  to 
having  less  sympathy  for  her  than  for  the  afore- 
said commercial  traveller,  for  it  is  not  the  fault 
of  the  latter  that  he  does  not  get  his  meal  regularly 
at  its  proper  time,  while  in  the  case  of  the  woman 
the  blame  lies  entirely  with  herself.  She  takes 
that  deadly  "  something  on  a  tray/'  and  takes  it 
at  any  time  that  suits  her  convenience.  Probably 
she  has  had  a  breakfast  of  tea  and  bread  and 
butter.  Too  often  the  same  fare  appears  for  her 

7 


82  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

lunch.  There  is  little  wonder  that  often  she  is 
a  martyr  to  dyspepsia  and  headache. 

The  question  as  to  the  length  of  the  interval 

between  meals  is  an  important  one.     And  here,  in 

particular,  individual  requirements 

Interval      enter  largely.     Some  people  can  go 

between      for  a  considerable  time  without  food 

meals.        and    feel     better    for    so     doing. 

Others  feel  sick  and  unduly  tired 

if  they  fast  too  long.     It  rests  with  each  one  to 

find  out  what  suits  them  best. 

On  general  principles,  however,  if  an  interval 
is  too  short  there  is  a  likelihood  of  a  certain 
amount  of  food  being  left  over  still  undigested 
from  the  last  meal.  And  this  interferes  with  the 
work  of  the  stomach.  Under  such  circumstances 
the  tongue  is. liable  to  be  coated  with  a  thick  fur, 
and  the  individual  to  suffer  from  a  constant 
feeling  of  nausea. 

If,  however,  the  interval  is  too  long,  the 
system  has  become  exhausted  and  the  stomach 
goes  on  strike.  By  the  time  the  meal  is  taken, 
the  supply  of  gastric  fluid  has  failed.  If  a  long 
interval  between  any  two  meals  is  unavoidable, 
as  for  instance  where  a  man  has  to  have  his 
breakfast  at  eight  and  cannot  get  his  lunch  until 
half-past  one,  it  is  better  to  take  some  light  food 
in  the  meantime.  This  prevents  the  sense  of 
exhaustion,  and  does  not  hinder  the  stomach 
from  doing  its  work  when  it  is  called  upon. 
Otherwise  the  man  is  apt  to  get  a  headache 
before  he  gets  his  meal,  and  indigestion  after  he 
has  taken  it. 


WHEN  TO   TAKE   FOOD.  83 

This  is  a  very  different  matter  from  the  habit 
of  eating  between  meals,  whether  it  be  in  regard 
to  sweets  or  to  heavier  articles  of  diet.  There 
is  a  form  of  hunger  known  as  "  false/'  It  comes 
on  an  hour  or  two  after  meals,  and  is  due  to  the 
irritation  of  undigested  food  in  the  stomach. 
As  it  is  often  accompanied  by  a  sensation  of 
sinking,  people  sometimes  take  some  food,  such 
as  beef-tea  or  strong  soup,  to  keep  themselves  up, 
as  they  term  it.  The  result  is  confusion  worse 
confounded,  and  if  the  process  is  repeated  too 
frequently  serious  damage  may  be  inflicted  on 
the  digestive  organs. 

I  have  dealt  at  considerable  length  with  this 

question  of  diet,  simply  because  it  has  such  an 

important  bearing  on  the  subject 

Diet  and     of  breakdowns.     There  is  no  single 

breakdowns,  path  that  leads  to  breakdowns,  the 

way    thither   is   rather    a   tangled 

maze    of    paths,    along    which    people    stumble 

blindly  until    they  suddenly  find   themselves   at 

an  impasse.     Yet  the  point  at  which  they  first 

left  the  high  road  of  health  consists  in  most  cases 

of  a  mistake  or  series  of  mistakes  in  regard  to 

their  food  and  the  manner  in  which  they  take  it. 

The  digestive  troubles  of  the  present  day  are 

very    different    from    those    of    a    century    ago. 

"  The  fine  old  English  gentleman, 

The  old      one  of  the  olden  style/'  consumed 

style.         an  enormous  breakfast  and  a  still 

more    enormous    dinner,    washing 

down  vast  quantities  of  food  with  great  draughts 

of  beer  or  wine.     Every  now  and  then  he  was 


84  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

laid  up  with  a  stomach-ache  or  an  attack  of  gout, 
and  for  a  day  or  two  made  the  welkin  ring  with 
his  upbraidings  ;  then  he  turned  up  again,  as 
fresh  as  any  young  buck,  and  went  on  his  way  re- 
joicing until  the  next  attack  laid  him  by  the  heels. 

We  marvel  that  he  survived  to  tell  the  tale. 
"  I  should  be  dead  in  a  week  if  I  did  such  things/' 
one  of  my  readers  probably  remarks.  Yes,  but 
the  hale  old  chap  led  a  different  sort  of  life  from 
that  which  we  lead  to-day.  He  spent  most  of  his 
time  in  the  saddle  or  in  walking  about  the  country- 
side. Moreover,  the  food  he  ate  was  of  such  a  solid 
nature  that  he  was  bound  to  chew  it  well  before 
he  could  swallow  it.  And  the  bilious  or  gouty 
attacks  from  which  he  suffered  afforded  a  welcome 
respite  to  the  whole  system,  giving  it  the  chance  to 
throw  off  a  large  amount  of  deleterious  matter. 

There  is  no  comparison  between  such  a 
process  as  this  and  the  continued  remorseless 
poisoning  from  which  many  people 
The  present  suffer  in  these  days  as  a  result  of 
style.  dietetic  mistakes.  And  this  poison 
finds  an  easy  victim  in  the  consti- 
tutions of  to-day.  These  hearty  blades  of  olden 
times  did  not  impose  much  strain  on  their  nervous 
systems.  They  lived  nearer  to  Nature  instead  of 
cooping  themselves  up  in  offices  and  businesses, 
straining  body  and  mind  in  the  struggle  to  make 
a  livelihood  or  a  fortune.  All  the  more  reason 
why  we  should  take  infinitely  more  care  in  regard 
to  our  diet  nowadays  than  our  ancestors  did.  - 

At  a  dinner  party  some  years  ago  one  of  the 
guests  was  a  sallow,  dyspeptic-looking  individual, 


WHEN   TO   TAKE   FOOD.  85 

of  ,a  melancholy  cast  of  countenance,  and  with 
nerves  written  in  large  characters  all  over  Mai, 
In  fact,  the  state  of  his  nerves  constituted  the  chief 
part  of  his  conversation,  to  the  utter  boredom 
of  the  lady  he  had  taken  in  to  dinner. 

'It  appeared  that  he  was  always  tired  ana 
depressed,  and  could  not  make  out  why  it  was. 
He  had  taken  tonics  and  gone  for  holidays  to 
various  health  resorts,  but  had  gained  not  the 
slightest  benefit. 

He  might  have  obtained  some  glimmering  of 
the  truth  if  he  had  placed  a  mirror  in  front  of 
him  as  he  dined,  or  even  if  he  had  only  stopped 
to  think.  For  he  ate  rapidly,  almost  ravenously, 
of  every  course  that  was  set  before  him,  bolting 
it  down  with  scarcely  any  attempt  at  mastication, 
which  the  present  style  of  preparing  food  renders 
only  too  easy.  "  He  was  bound  to  make  a  good 
dinner/'  he  said,  as  his  business  was  of  such  an 
arduous  and  worrying  nature  that  he  rarely  had 
time  to  get  any  lunch.  At  the  conclusion  of  the 
meal  he  apologised  for  taking  out  of  his  pocket 
a  box  of  digestive  tablets.  He  was  forced  to  have 
them,  he  explained,  as  he  was  a  martyr  to  dyspepsia. 

Yet  ten  years  before  this  man  had  been  a 
strong,  healthy  athlete.  Now  he  had  become  a 
wreck,  and  his  life  was  a  burden  to  him.  Not 
only  was  he  incapable  of  doing  his  work  properly 
or  of  enjoying  his  pleasures,  but  he  lived  in  a 
constant  dread  of  a  nervous  breakdown.  And 
the  probability  is  that  unless  he  has  reformed  his 
ways  of  eating  that  catastrophe  has  happened  to 
him  ere  this. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

FRESH   AIR. 

THE  very  title,  "  Fresh  Air,"  conjures  up  visions  of 
wide -spreading  moorlands  and  foam-flecked  seas, 
of  sunny  dales  and  quiet  trout-streams,  of  breezy 
golf  links  and  bracing  mountain-tops  ;  of  all  the 
things,  in  fact,  which  we  are  going  to  revel  in 
when  we  go  for  our  next  holiday. 

When  we  go  for  our  next  holiday  !  And  what 
is  to  happen  in  the  meantime  ?  For  fresh  air  is  a 
daily,  we  might  say  an  hourly,  necessity,  not  a 
yearly  luxury.  The  combustion  on  which  the 
health  so  largely  depends  is  always  going  on. 
The  bodily  engine  never  ceases  running  from  the 
beginning  to  the  end  of  life.  Sometimes  it  is 
more  active  than  at  others,  but  even  during  sleep 
itself,  though  the  muscles  may  be  relaxed  and 
motionless,  the  heart  is  acting,  and  the  lungs  must 
continue  to  do  their  work.  The  machinery  of  the 
body  is  never  still,  the  furnaces  are  never  out. 
Sometimes  they  are  burning  fiercely,  at  other 
times  with*  a  gentle  glow. 

Yet  no  matter  whether  it  is  one  or  the  other, 
it  is  necessary  that  the  processes  of  combustion 
should  be  complete,  and  the  purer  the  air  that 
reaches  the  lungs,  and  the  more  there  is  of  it,  the 
more  effectually  will  this  end  be  attained. 

Send  a  tired,  seedy-looking  man  into  the  open 

86 


FRESH    AIR.  87 

air  for  a  whole  day,  and  even  if  he  only  lies  down 
or  lounges  about  the  whole  time,  you  may  notice 
the  difference  in  his  looks  by  the  time  evening 
has  come.  His  eyes  will  be  brighter  and  his 
complexion  clearer,  and  the  dragging  sense  of 
heaviness  in  his  limbs  will  have  disappeared. 
Instead  of  discomfort  and  nausea,  he  will  have  a 
good,  healthy  appetite. 

As  for  his  nervous  system,   there  will  be  no 

comparison.     There  is  no  tonic  in  the  whole  world 

for  jaded  nerves  like  an  abundant 

Fresh  air     supply  of  pure,  fresh  air.     And  if 

and  the      sunshine  can  be  obtained  at  the 

nervous      same  time  so  much  the  better,  for 

system.       the  effect  of  direct  sunlight  on  the 

body  is  simply  remarkable.     Some 

years  ago  a  new  form  of  holiday  was  started  in 

the  shape  of  trips  to  the  Sahara,  for  the  benefit 

of  those  suffering  from  brain-fag.     The  success 

which  attended  them  was  due  largely  to  the  free 

supply  of  sunshine,  not  merely  to  the  fact  of  the 

patients  being  away  from  their  work  and  ordinary 

surroundings.     Many  of  them  had  tried  rest  cures 

elsewhere  without  any  good  result.     It  was  only 

when  they  spent  weeks  in  some  oasis,  with  the 

sunlight  pouring  down  on  them  from  morning  till 

night,    that    their    nervous     systems    recovered 

themselves. 

Yet  these  people  should  never  have  had  brain- 
fag if  they  had  only  carried  out  the  rules  we  are 
about  to  lay  down. 

Most  of  us  are  not  in  a  position  to  go  to  the 
Sahara,  but  we  can  get  at  home,  if  not  such  a 


88  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

flood  of  sunshine,  at  any  rate  enough  fresh  air, 
in  conjunction  with  other  precautions  as  to  diet 
and  so  forth,  to  prevent  our  systems  ever  getting 
into  such  a  state  as  to  make  a  trip  of  this  sort, 
with  its  outlay  of  time  and  money,  a  necessity. 

Apart  from  sunshine,  fresh  air  has  a  potent 
influence  on  health.  We  all  pine  for  fine  holidays, 
and  no  doubt  they  do  us  more  good,  in  addition 
to  being  more  enjoyable,  than  wet  ones.  Yet  it 
is  amazing  how  much  better  people  look  after 
even  a  rainy  holiday  at  the  seaside  or  country. 
The  rest  from  the  worries  of  business  and  so  forth 
has  something  to  do  with  it,  but  I  firmly  believe 
that  half  the  benefit  is  due  to  the  fact  that  when 
people  are  on  a  holiday  they  spend  the  greater 
part  of  their  time  in  the  open  air. 

A  friend  once  remarked  to  me  that  he  always 
began  to  feel  nervous  and  worried  as  soon  as  he 
got  back  home.  He  wondered  if  the  district 
agreed  with  him.  I  asked  him  what  sort  of  life 
he  led  when  he  was  in  the  country.  And  he 
replied  that  he  pottered  about  outside  all  the 
time.  If  it  was  wet,  he  put  on  a  mackintosh  and 
went  out  just  the  same.  Yet  he  owned  up  that 
he  never  thought  of  doing  such  a  thing  at  home. 

Two  men  were  walking  down  a  street  in  the 
West  of  London  on  a  winter's  afternoon.  The 
one  was  plodding  along  wearily  with  his  eyes  fixed 
on  the  pavement  and  lines  of  care  on  his  face. 
The  other  held  himself  erect,  walking  with  easy 
strides,  *and  looking  around  with  genial  eyes  that 
seemed  to  find  an  interest  in  everything  they  saw, 
His  breezy  manner  and  the  glow  of  health  in  his 


FRESH    AIR.  89 

cheeks  were  a  marked  contrast  to  the  look  of 
weariness  and  pallor  on  the  face  of  his  companion. 

Yet  these  two  were  brothers,  brought  up  in  the 
same  way  and  under  the  same  conditions.  The 
one  had  applied  himself  to  the  law,  finally  settling* 
down  in  London,  amazed  that  his  brother  should 
be  content  to  bury  himself  in  the  heart  of  the 
country. 

A  few  hours  later  they  sat  down  to  dinner 
together,  and  the  lawyer  looked  with  envy  at  the 
hearty  way  in  which  the  country  brother  ate  his 
food,  and  the  relish  with  which  he  seemed  able  to 
take  anything  that  was  set  before  him.  His  own 
appetite  was  fickle  to  the  last  degree,  and  even 
when  he  ate  any  of  the  courses  it  was  with  a 
doleful  presentiment  as  to  the  effect  they  would 
have  upon  him. 

It  was  after  midnight  before  the  lawyer  could 
make  up  his  mind  to  go  to  bed,  and  he  went  with 
the  expectation  of  a  restless  night.  By  that  time 
the  other  brother  was  enjoying  a  deep,  untroubled 
slumber. 

Six  months  later  you  might  have  seen  those 
two  men  again  walking  side  by  side.  This  time 
it  was  on  an  August  morning  amongst  the  fields 
and  hedgerows.  The  difference  between  them 
was  not  so  marked  on  this  occasion.  The  lawyer 
held  his  head  higher,  his  eyes  were  brighter,  and 
his  cheeks  had  lost  much  of  their  pallor.  He  did 
not  look  down  at  the  ground  either,  but  gazed  all 
around  him,  and  some  of  the  careworn  lines  had 
disappeared  from  his  face.  He  had  had  three 
weeks  of  pure,  country  air,  and  had  spent  most 


90  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

of  it  in  the  open.  He  was  dreading  the  time,  a 
few  days  hence,  when  he  would  have  to  return  to 
town. 

That  was  not  anything  out  of  the  common. 
We  have  all  seen  people  returning  from  their 
holidays  looking  like  that.  The  surprising  part — 
surprising  even  to  the  man  himself — was  to 
follow.  For  during  the  following  winter  you 
might  have  watched  that  lawyer  stepping  out  of 
his  office  any  afternoon,  and  would  have  been 
amazed  to  notice  that  he  had  never  lost  the 
improvement  which  he  had  gained  during  his 
weeks  in  the  country.  His  dread  that  he  would 
sink  back  into  the  same  nervous,  dyspeptic  state 
as  before  had  been  unfounded. 

For  it  was  only  a  few  days  after  he  had  got 
foack  to  town  that  he  had  been  talking  to  a  friend 
and  telling  him  how  much  better  he  had  felt  after 
his  open-air  holiday.  And  the  friend  had  said, 
"  Then  why  not  keep  it  up  now  you  are  at  home  ?  " 

That  remark  had  set  the  lawyer  thinking,  and 
the  force  of  it  had  impressed  him  deeply.  So 
instead  of  driving  to  his  office  each  day  he  had 
made  a  habit  of  covering  the  three  miles  on  foot, 
and  returning  home  in  the  evening  in  the  same 
way.  He  had  taken  every  opportunity  of  having 
a  walk,  either  along  the  streets  or  in  the  park, 
and  had  felt  a  new  man  after  it.  And  it  was 
net  only  his  bodily  health  which  had  benefited  ; 
his  nervousness  had  ^one,  and  he  had  ceased 
to  worry  over  his  work  and  all  his  other  affairs. 
He  had  found  not  only  fresh  air  during  these 
-walks,  but  a  vast  number  of  other  things  to 


FRESH    AIR.  91 

interest  him  at  the  same  time.  And  the  weather 
did  not  seem  of  nearly  the  same  importance  as 
before.  If  it  was  wet,  he  took  a  coat  and  umbrella 
and  trudged  through  it  as  contentedly  as  if  he 
were  enjoying  bright  sunshine.  To  his  surprise, 
he  did  not  catch  cold  nearly  so  often  as  he  had 
been  accustomed  to  do. 

Now  this  man  only  did  what  anyone  else  can 
do,  that  is  to  secure  a  daily  supply  of  fresh  air. 
There  are  vast  numbers  of  people  who  would  be 
different  creatures  if  they  would  have  a  walk 
morning  and  evening,  either  before  breakfast  or 
their  evening  meal,  or  on  their  way  to  and  from 
their  work. 

It  is  of  little  use,  however,  to  take  walks  in  the 

iresh  air  if    we  come    back  to  badly- ventilated 

houses.     There  are  some  dwellings 

Fresh  air     in  which  the  air  always  feels  dead  ; 

in  the        there  is  a  staleness  about  it  which 

home.        offends  our  nostrils  the  moment  we 

cross  the  threshold.    The  doors  and 

•windows  are  kept  closed,  and  the  whole  house  reeks 

of  the   accumulated  poison  from   the    lungs  of 

those  who  have  lived  beneath  its  roof. 

In  a  north  country  dale  there  is  a  charming 
cottage,  its  latticed  windows  framed  in  creepers, 
standing  back  from  the  village  street.  It  is  the 
admiration  of  all  beholders,  yet  its  beauty  is 
only  the  shell  that  hides  a  grim  tragedy.  There 
were  five  children  in  the  family,  and  one  by  one 
they  died  of  consumption.  And  if  you  examine 
the  pretty  latticed  windows  more  closely,  you 
will  find  the  secret  of  their  fell  disorder,  for  not 


92  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

one  of  those  windows,  upstairs  or  down,  will  open* 
Those  youngsters  played  in  the  fresh  air,  they 
went  to  school  and  returned  home  in  it,  but  every 
minute  that  they  spent  in  the  house  they  were 
living  in  a  poisoned  atmosphere.  If  there  had 
been  no  such  thing  as  bedtime,  they  might  have 
escaped  ;  but  it  was  no  wonder  that  when  some 
tubercle  bacilli  made  their  way  into  that  house 
they  found  easy  victims  in  the  innocent,  sleeping 
forms  of  those  children.  For  even  the  fireplace 
in  the  bedroom  was  blocked  up  with  a  sack  of 
shavings. 

An  atmosphere  of  that  sort  is  like  a  two-edged 
sword,  it  cuts  both  ways.  It  not  only  lowers  the 
resisting  power  of  the  human  body,  but  also 
favours  the  growth  of  germs.  And  consumption 
is  not  the  only  complaint  to  which  vitiated  air 
may  lead.  There  are  many  other  forms  of 
ailments  which,  if  not  so  deadly  as  this  disease, 
exercise  a  most  pernicious  influence  on  health. 

Common  colds  play  a  far  greater  havoc  with 
the  health  of  a  nation  than  is  usually  supposed. 
For  it  is  not  merely  the  loss  of  time  spent  in 
getting  rid  of  them,  but  the  infinitely  more 
important  fact  that  these  chills  and  catarrhs 
upset  digestion,  lower  the  general  health,  and  lay 
it  open  for  deadlier  enemies  to  enter.  Sometimes 
colds  are  of  the  influenza  nature,  the  result  of  a 
germ,  which  may  fix  itself  in  the  throat  in  spite 
of  all  precautions.  Yet  the  influenza  bacillus 
itself  finds  the  greatest  ally  in  any  catarrh  of  the 
nose  or  throat.  We  frequently  hear  people  say 
that  they  had  an  ordinary  cold  which  developed 


FRESH    AIR.  93 

into  influenza.  It  is  a  perfectly  true  statement, 
and  if  the  ordinary  cold  had  not  been  there  first, 
it  is  more  than  probable  that  the  influenza  germ 
would  not  have  had  a  chance  of  establishing  itself. 

Nothing  causes  chills  more  than  hot,  stuffy 
rooms.  We  often  hear  people  complaining  that 
they  took  cold  when  they  came  out  into  the  night 
air.  Yet  it  was  not  the  night  air  which  did  the 
mischief,  but  the  poisonous  atmosphere  in  the 
room  itself,  due  to  the  accumulated  exhalations 
of  many  lungs,  etc.  Had  the  apartment  been 
well  ventilated  the  so-called  chill  would  never 
have  occurred. 

Most  cases  of  asthma  are  the  result  of  a  bad 
atmosphere.  The  catarrh  has  extended  down 
from  the  nose  and  throat  into  the  bronchial  tubes, 
and  set  up  a  spasm  which  is  the  source  of  this 
distressing  malady.  No  asthmatic  can  afford  to 
keep  his  windows  closed.  Whether  by  day  or 
night,  he  needs  a  liberal  supply  of  fresh  air. 

It  is  not  so  much  by  day  that  people  suffer  from 
the  effects  of  poor  ventilating.  For  then  most 
of  us  are  compelled  by  the  force  of  circumstances 
and  the  exigencies  of  our  work  to  move  about 
from  one  place  to  another,  even  if  it  is  only  from 
room  to  room.  It  is  in  the  evenings,  and  winter 
evenings  in  particular,  that  the  atmosphere  of  the 
dwelling  -  rooms  becomes  contaminated.  The 
family  sits  by  the  fireside,  with  the  windows  and 
door  closed,  and  they  never  notice  how  stuffy 
and  close  the  room  is  becoming,  until  someone 
comes  in  from  the  outside  air  and  beseeches  them 
to  open  the  window. 


94  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

Yet  they  go  on  sitting  in  that  poisoned  air. 
and  one  or  two  of  them  become  drowsy  and  sit 
half  asleep,  with  the  result  that  when  bedtime 
comes  they  have  to  face  a  restless  night.  Others, 
perhaps,  find  their  heads  .  aching,  and  attribute 
it  to  the  fact  they  are  working  too  hard  during 
the  day. 

But  it  is  only  when  they  go  to  bed  in  rooms 
with  the  windows  closed  that  the  chief  harm 
comes.  Considering  what  a  large  proportion  of 
our  lives  we  spend  in  our  bedrooms,  it  is  of  vital 
importance  that  the  air  should  be,  if  anything, 
purer  than  that  of  the  rooms  we  live  in  b}?- 
day.  For  at  night  we  are  not  moving  about,  but 
lying  still,  and  the  air  does  not  get  a  chance  of 
renewing  itself  unless  the  ventilation  is  efficient.. 
Many  people  complain  that  they  can  scarcely 
wake  up  in  the  mornings,  they  feel  so  heavy. 
Or  that  when  they  do  rouse  themselves  they  have 
a  headache,  which  it  takes  hours  to  get  rid  of. 
All  this  might  be  avoided  by  the  use  of  the  open 
window. 

The  objection  to  it  generally  consists  in  the 
fact  that  it  makes  a  draught.  There  is  no  necessity 
for  this,  however.  There  are  some  cranks  who 
have  much  to  account  for  in  regard  to  this  matter. 
They  boast  that  they  can  sleep  close  to  a  window 
which  is  open  top  and  bottom  to  its  fullest  extent, 
and  are  proud  to  say  that  they  have  waked  up 
in  the  morning  to  find  that  the  rain  had  been 
coming  in  and  had  soaked  the  bedclothes  through 
and  through. 

There  may  be  a  few  constitutions  which  can 


FRESH    AIR.  95= 

stand  this,  but  they  are  certainly  in  a  hopeless 
minority.  The  majority  of  people  would  find 
themselves  in  "  Queer  Street  "  if  they  attempted 
such  folly,  for  folly  it  is  without  a  doubt.  In 
one  case  where  a  father  adopted  vigorous  methods 
of  this  sort  with  his  children  it  ended  in  one  of 
them  getting  an  inflammation  of  the  ear,  which 
resulted  in  incurable  deafness. 

There  is  reason  in  all  things,  ventilation, 
included.  And  fresh  air  can  be  secured  without 
any  draught  at  all.  A  few  inches  top  and  bottom, 
or  only  at  the  top  if  the  weather  be  very  stormy, 
makes  all  the  difference,  either  in  a  sitting-room 
or  a  bedroom.  Better  still  is  the  plan  of  fixing 
a  block  of  wood  the  width  of  the  window  frame 
below  the  lower  sash.  That  leaves  a  space 
between  the  upper  and  lower  sashes,  which 
ensures  a  constant  supply  of  fresh  air.  If  this  be 
adopted  the  atmosphere  will  always  be  pure  and 
healthy,  even  if  the  window  is  never  opened  any 
farther. 

It  is  vastly  better  to  have  this  constant  supply 
of  pure  air  in  small  doses  than  to  throw  the 
window  open  wide  after  the  atmosphere  has 
become  hot  and  unpleasant. 

Sometimes,  however,  it  happens  that  in  spite 
of  all  our  efforts  we  have  to  breathe  air  containing 
some  deleterious  matter,  germs  or  dust  or  what- 
ever else  it  may  be.  To  meet  this  contingency^ 
Nature  has  provided  a  filter  of  her  own.  It 
consists  of  a  network  inside  the  nostrils.  That  is 
why  it  is  of  such  importance  to  breathe  through 
the  nose  instead  of  the  mouth.  If  all  children 


36  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

were  taught  to  do  this  there  would  be  fewer 
colds  and  fevers.  The  nostrils  would  arrest  the 
unwholesome  particles  before  they  had  a  chance 
of  reaching  the  tonsils,  which  are  such  a  suitable 
soil  for  their  growth. 

Needless  to  say,  pure  air  is  of  greater  value  when 
it  is  inhaled  as  freely  as  possible.  In  order  to 
bring  this  about,  it  is  necessary  to  breathe  deeply. 
There  are  not  many  people  who  get  the  best 
value  out  of  their  lungs.  As  a  rule,  respiration  is 
much  too  light.  In  order  to  remedy  this  defect, 
breathing  exercises  are  of  great  value.  The  way 
to  carry  them  out  is  to  stand  with  the  hands  on 
the  hips  and  breathe  slowly  in  and  out,  inwardly 
counting  four  each  time  in  a  deliberate  manner, 
and  expanding  the  chest  to  its  fullest  possible 
•extent. 

The  mistake  usually  made  is  to  lift  the  chest 
with  each  inspiration.  This  only  raises  it,  it 
does  not  expand  it.  The  proper  way  is  to  breathe 
from  the  abdomen  and  lower  part  of  the  chest 
wall.  When  this  is  done  every  part  of  the  lung 
is  filled  with  air,  and  this  has  the  great  advantage 
of  preventing  the  air  inside  the  lung  spaces  from 
stagnating  in  any  one  part,  an  occurrence  which 
is  always  prone  to  lead  to  the  onset  of  congestion 
or  disease. 

It  does  another  good  turn  too,  for  it  inculcates 
the  habit  of  deep,  full  breathing.  Those  who 
practise  for  a  few  minutes  each  day  will  soon  find 
themselves  expanding  their  lungs  habitually,  even 
•when  they  are  not  thinking  about  it. 

Yet  even  if  windoivs  and  doors  are  kept  open, 


FRESH     AIR.  97 

something  more  is  requisite.     For  unless  a  house 

is  scrupulously  clean  and  the  rooms 

Cleanliness   regularly  turned  out,  it  cannot  be 

in  the       healthy.     If  a  piece  of  machinery 

house.        is  left  untouched  for  some  months 

it  will  never  be  as  good  as  it  was 

before.     The  grease  has  become  foul,  whilst  dust 

and  dirt  have  accumulated,  and  these  insidious 

elements  have  combined  to  destroy  the  quality 

of  the  metal.      That  means  that  some  time  or 

other  some  bar  or  joint  or  nut  will  crack,  and 

once  that  has  happened  the  mischief  rarely  stops 

there,  but  goes  on  to  the  weakening  of  other  parts 

and  the  deterioration  of  the  whole  machine. 

And  when  human  beings  live  in  houses  that  are 
not    fresh  and  wholesome   they  are    constantly 
inhaling  dust  and  fusty  smells,  which  act  as  a 
slow,  subtle  poison  and  lower  the  vitality  of  the 
various  tissues  of  the  body.     It  is  so  gradual  that 
they  may  not  notice  it,  until  at  last  something 
gives  way,  and  after  that  the  downward  tendency 
becomes  comparatively  rapid.     When  the  cata- 
clysm occurs,  they  date  it  from  the  day  when  the 
first  crack,  if  we  may  call  it  so,  appeared.    Rather 
should  they  look  back  to  the  long  years  spent  in 
an  unhealthy  atmosphere  within  their  own  homes. 
There  is  no  fault,  however   apparently  trivial 
it  may  seem,  in  matters  of  hygiene  which  does 
not  add  its  quota  towards  the  final 
Hygiene  in    breakdown  of  the  human  machinery. 
the  home.    The  faulty,  leaking  gaspipe  which 
causes  oft-repeated  morning  head- 
aches;     the   choked-up   scullery   sink,    with   its 
8 


98  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

abominable  mixture  of  soap,  grease  and  vegetable 
washings  ;  the  defective  drain  and  pipes  ;  each 
and  all  do  their  evil  part  in  undermining  the 
constitution  and  rendering  it  more  prone  to  the 
onset  of  disease. 

There  is  another  aspect  of  this  question  to 
which  too  little  prominence  has  been  given.  It 
is  that  of  tidiness,  and  its  effect  on  the  nervous 
system.  We  all  know  that  a  tidy  desk  indicates 
a  methodical,  well-regulated  mind,  and  that  one 
which  is  in  a  litter  is  usually  the  sign  of  a  man 
whose  ideas  are  confused  and  jumbled  up. 
Everyone  does  not  realise  that  the  sight  of  a 
disorderly  room,  with  waste  paper  lying  on  the 
floor  and  an  unswept  hearth,  has  an  irritating 
effect  on  the  nerves  of  a  man  or  woman  who  comes 
home  jaded  and  tired. 

We  shall  have  occasion  shortly  to  point  out 
that  it  is  this  harassed  state  which  is  one  of  the 
most  potent  factors  in  causing  nervous  break- 
downs. And  it  is  just  when  the  home-comer 
needs  to  have  everything  as  smooth  as  possible 
to  put  him  or  her  into  a  calm  and  equable  frame 
.of  mind  that  their  fretted  nervous  systems  are 
still  further  irritated  by  signs  of  disorder  in  their 
homes.  Tidiness  is  more  than  a  mere  virtue,  it 
is  an  indispensable  adjunct  to  health. 

All  who  wish  to  be  well,  and  feel  well,  and 
keep  well,  must  seek  a  free  and  constant  supply  of 
air,  and  strive  to  obtain  it  in  all  its  freshness  and 
purity.  They  must  secure  it  at  all  times  too,  at 
home  and  away,  indoors  and  out,  summer  and 
winter,  day  and  night.  If  everyone  were  to  do 


FRESH    AIR.  99 

this,  the  effect  on  the  health  and  welfare  of  the 
nation  would  be  incalculable.  They  will  find  it 
no  irksome  duty,  for  before  long  they  will  acquire 
a  taste,  a  longing,  we  might  say  a  craving  for  it 
which  will  make  them  wonder  how  they  ever 
managed  to  live  without  it. 

An  appetite  for  fresh  air  is  one  of  those  pro- 
pensities we  can  indulge  in  without  any  fear  of 
going  to  excess.  We  can  revel  in  it,  gourmandise 
on  it,  smack  our  lips  over  it,  and  the  more  we  get 
of  it  the  better  we  shall  be. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

EXERCISE. 

SEVERAL  men  were  riding  home  together  in  a 
tramcar  on  their  way  from  business,  and  were 
discussing  their  health,  as  so  many  people  do 
nowadays.  They  were  all  looking  tired  and 
depressed,  and  on  comparing  notes  found  that 
they  were  all  suffering  from  the  same  complaint, 
"  nervous  exhaustion  due  to  overwork/'  At 
least,  that  is  what  they  called  it.  They  were 
tired  when  they  went  to  bed,  and  just  as  tired 
when  they  got  up  in  the  morning,  and  had  no 
energy  for  their  day's  work.  Why  the  latter 
should  have  proved  too  much  for  them  was  a 
mystery,  as  their  hours  were  not  long  by  any 
means,  and  they  were  all  in  the  prime  of  life. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  they  were  not  suffering  from 
nervous  exhaustion  at  all,  but  from  poisoning, 
the  result  of  a  sedentary  occupation  and  want  of 
exercise.  These  men  had  an  excess  of  waste 
products  in  their  system,  retarding  their  digestions 
and  clogging  their  energies. 

It  is  particularly  at  or  just  before  middle  age 

that  the  want  of  exercise  so  frequently  manifests 

itself.     Most  people  keep  up  their 

Exercise  at   games  or  their  walking  until  the 

middle  age.  age  of  thirty  or  forty.     It  is  after 

that  stage  that  they  tend  to  settle 

down  and  take  things  easily.     If  they  would  only 


100 


EXERCISE.  M 

reduce  their  diet  at  the  same  time  little  harm 
might  accrue,  but  unfortunately  in  many  instances, 
as  we  have  already  pointed  out,  they  begin  to  eat 
more  instead  of  less.  The  result  is  that  we  are 
confronted  with  the  problem  of  increased  intake 
and  diminished  output.  We  often  see  men  of 
strong  physique  who  have  given  up  games  and 
reduced  their  walking  to  a  minimum,  and  have 
become  moody  and  irritable,  sleepless  and 
depressed. 

This  is  because  their  systems  have  become 
loaded  with  a  superfluity  of  waste  matter.  And 
the  latter  not  only  makes  them  headachy  and 
tired,  but  if  the  accumulation  is  allowed  to  go 
on  unchecked,  it  deranges  the  vital  organs,  the 
kidneys  particularly,  and  before  long  may  actually 
set  up  organic  disease.  After  that  the  strain  on 
the  whole  bodily  functions  becomes  greater  and 
greater,  until  the  breaking  -  point  is  reached. 
For  as  people  grow  older  their  organs  have  less 
power  of  throwing  off  waste  material,  and  become 
less  able  to  support  one  another  when  any  weakness 
appears. 

These  breakdowns  are  the  most  liable  to  occur 
in  the  case  of  athletes  who  have  been  accustomed 
to  severe  and  active  exercise  all  their  lives.  In 
them  the  system  seems  to  have  learned  to  depend, 
even  more  than  in  the  case  of  other  people,  upon 
hard  exercise  to  keep  it  in  good  condition.  And 
when  men  of  this  type  drop  it  too  suddenly,  the 
results  are  disastrous.  Yet  that  is  what  so  many 
of  them  tend  to  do.  They  are  unable  any  longer 
to  indulge  in  the  violent  games  and  training  to 


102  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

which  they  have  been  accustomed,  and  they  will 
not  "  lower  themselves,"  as  I  have  heard  it  ex- 
pressed, to  take  part  in  milder  forms  of  recreation. 
Sometimes  they  even  become  too  lazy  to  walk. 

Of  course,  no  man  can  be  expected  to  keep  up 
his  running,  or  take  part  in  boat  races,  or  practise 
putting  the  weight  after  he  has  passed  a  certain 
age.  Nor  would  it  be  good  for  him  to  do  so. 
Once  he  has  passed  thirty  he  must  begin  to  take 
things  a  bit  more  slowly,  and  avoid  taking  part 
in  athletic  contests.  For  racing  in  any  form 
involves  a  mental  as  well  as  a  physical  strain, 
and  few  men  beyond  that  age  can  stand  the  stress 
of  the  two  combined. 

Yet  if  he  cannot  race  he  can  still  row  or  run  or 
whatever  else  it  may  be.  Later  on  he  may  have 
to  give  these  up  also,  and  take  to  quieter  forms  of 
exercise.  The  secret  lies  in  the  gradual  dropping 
off.  And  no  man  need  complain,  for  there  are 
plenty  of  outdoor  games  suited  to  every  age  and 
every  constitution. 

The  great  point  is  that  everyone,  men  and 
women  alike,  must  have  exercise  of  some  kind  or 
other.  For  most  of  the  vital 
Value  of  processes  of  the  body  depend  upon 
exercise,  it.  It  is  the  chief  agent  in  burning 
up  the  waste  matter  in  the  system, 
reducing  it  to  such  a  form  as  is  most  easily 
excreted  by  the  different  organs.  It  also  keeps 
this  waste  on  the  move,  and  so  brings  it  more 
freely  into  contact  with  those  organs.  Further- 
more, it  stimulates  the  action  of  the  heart  and 
lungs,  and  so  invigorates  the  circulation,  and 


EXERCISE.  103 

supplies  the  respiratory  tract  with  a  more  liberal 
allowance  of  oxygen. 

Then,  freed  from  the  incubus  of  the  presence 
of  this  poisonous  matter,  the  digestion  improves, 
and  the  nervous  system  regains  its  wonted  vigour 
once  more. 

To  be  efficient,  exercise  must  be  steady  and 

regular.     A  long   tramp   or   a  violent   burst  of 

tennis  or  some  other  game  once  a 

Regularity,    week  can  never  make  up  for  days 

of     comparative     inaction.      More 

than  that,   it  is  almost  dangerous.     The  waste 

products  have  meanwhile  accumulated  to  such  an 

extent  that,  if  they  are  suddenly  stirred  up,  they 

are  apt  to  produce  a  severe  headache  or  a  bilious 

attack.     People  are  often  puzzled  and  discouraged 

when  after  a  long  walk  on  a  Saturday  afternoon 

they  feel  so  done  up  as  to  be  unfit  for  anything  for 

the  next  twenty  hours. 

The  exercise  should  be  daily,  so  that  the  waste 
matter  is  eliminated  regularly.  To  realise  the 
difference  between  this  method  and  the  one  we 
have  just  been  discussing,  notice  the  effect  of 
dusting  a  room  once  a  week  compared  with  doing  it 
each  day.  It  is  the  difference  between  an  almost 
imperceptible  quantity  of  dust  and  a  cloud  that 
fills  the  room  and  threatens  to  choke  you. 

There  is  one  result  of  irregular  exercise  that 
needs  to  be  referred  to  here.     It  is  cramp.     This 
painful    complaint    is    due    to    a 
Violent       deposit  of  waste  matter  in  some 
exercise  and  muscle,  which  it  causes  to  contract 
cramp.       violently  owing  to  the  local  irrita- 
tion set  up.     It  is  liable  to  occur 


104  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

after  hard  or  prolonged  exercise  of  any  sort, 
especially  in  those  who  only  take  it  now  and  then. 
Sometimes,  however,  it  is  found  in  those  who 
never  take  part  in  games,  as  in  elderly  people,  for 
instance.  In  this  case  it  is  often  due  to  the 
habit  of  walking  beyond  the  ordinary  pace. 
There  are  some  temperaments  which  never  allow 
their  possessors  to  walk  quietly,  even  though  age 
or  some  infirmity  demands  it,  and  such  persons 
are  very  liable  to  wake  up  at  night  suffering 
from  cramp. 

The  treatment  is  to  avoid  too  violent  exercise 
or  to  walk  in  a  more  leisurely  fashion,  as  the  case 
may  be.  When* it  has  come  on,  the  remedy  is  to 
rub  the  affected  part  vigorously,  or  put  it  into  hot 
water  if  such  is  available. 

Exercise,  like  all  other  indispensable  things  in 

this  world,  needs  to  be  carried  out  with  discretion. 

Because   a  lusty  young  fellow  of 

Outdoor      twenty  finds  that  a  hard  game,  such 

exercise,      as  football,  once  a  week,  in  addition 

to  steady  daily  exercise,  suits  him, 

it  does  not  follow  that  it  is  going  to  be  of  benefit 

for  a  manr  of  forty.     It  is  an  important  point  in 

selecting  a  game  to  choose  a  suitable  one.     Golf 

is  often   advocated   as  the  ideal  recreation   for 

middle-aged  men.     Yet  one  has  known  of  cases 

where  a  round  of  golf  left  a  man  jaded  2nd  tired, 

but  a  game  of  bowls  or  tennis  did  him  a  world 

of  good.     The  one  might  require  as  much  as  the 

other,  but  for  some  unknown  reason  it  was  better 

adapted  to  the  needs  of  the  individual  in  question. 

At  the  risk  of  offending  every  golfer  in  the  country 


EXERCISE.  10& 

— and  that  is  about  every  other  man  you  meet — 
I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  even  if  a  man 
does  not  play  it  he  may  be  "  a  man  for  a'  that." 
And  if  it  only  worries  and  tires,  instead  of  refresh- 
<ng  him,  he  is  vastly  better  advised  to  leave  it 
off,  and  take  to  something  that  suits  him  better 
and  is  more  in  accordance  with  his  feelings. 

Half  an  hour  a  day  spent  in  walking,  cycling 
or  playing  some  outdoor  game  is  sufficient  to> 
keep  the  whole  system  in  good  working  order. 

Games  have  the  advantage  of  adding  the 
stimulus  of  competition  and  complete  change  of 
thought,  but  there  is  no  better  exercise  than  that 
of  walking.  And  after  all  the  change  of  thought 
can  be  obtained  equally  well  at  the  same  time, 
if  people  have  some  outdoor  hobby,  as  botany 
or  natural  history.  It  also  provides  change  of 
scene,  which  is  a  fine  mental  tonic  in  itself. 

The  ideal  form  of  recreation  is  to  cycle  to  some 
spot,  leave  your  machine  there,  and  set  out  for  a 
walk.  By  such  means  you  get  far  away  from 
your  ordinary  surroundings,  and  also  receive  the 
benefit  of  the  pure  air  of  the  meadow  or  the 
mountain-top. 

There  are  many  people,  however,  who  live  in 

towns,   and,  in  winter  especially,   cannot  reach 

green  fields  or  hills  except  when  on 

The          a  holiday.     There  are  wet  days  too 

pavement     on  which  a  country  walk  is  hardly 

walk.        possible    or    even     desirable,     on 

account  of  the  state  of  the  roads. 

Yet  there  is  another  form  of  walking  which  is  of 

great    value    under    such    circumstances.     It    is 


106  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

what  we  may  term  the  "  pavement  tramp."  An 
hour's  brisk  walk  of  this  sort  is  an  invaluable 
boon  to  town-dwellers  on  a  dull  day  or  a  wintry 
night,  when  circumstances  stand  in  the  way  or 
any  other  form  of  exercise. 

At  times  even  the  state  of  the  pavements,  as  in 
snowy  weather,  may  render  this  impossible.  In 
that  case,  if  you  are  feeling  stale  and  unprofitable, 
and  longing  for  some  active  exercise,  you  may 
obtain  it  by  walking  brisldy  up  and  down  the 
stairs.  The  servants  will  think  you  have  gone 
mad,  but  as  they  probably  think  that  already, 
this  fact  need  not  deter  you  from  this  form  ol 
invigoration. 

When  people  who  have  previously  neglected 

exercise  start  to  take  it,  they  are  often  met  with 

one  difficulty.     They  complain  that 

On  starting   after  they  have  walked  for  a  mile 

exercise,  or  so  they  are  too  tired  to  go  any 
farther,  and  when  they  return 
home  they  do  not  feel  refreshed  but  rather  the 
opposite.  Under  these  circumstances  we  need 
not  hesitate  to  assure  them  that  if  they  will  but 
persevere,  this  feeling  of  fatigue  will  pass  off, 
and  a  sense  of  enjoyment  and  lightness  take  its 
place.  Once  they  have  experienced  the  truth  of 
this  they  are  ready  to  continue  the  daily  walk 
and  exercises,  and  soon  begin  to  wonder  how 
they  ever  managed  to  live  without  them. 

This  acute  fatigue  is  due  to  the  stirring  up  of 
the  waste  matter  in  the  system.  If,  however, 
they  force  themselves  to  keep  on  walking  quietly, 
the  exercise  itself  will  help  to  eliminate  these 


EXERCISE.  101 

undesirable  elements,  and  so  fulfil  its  most 
important  function. 

This  question  of  exercise  calls  for  special 
mention  in  the  case  of  women  of  the  middle  and 
upper  classes.  Too  often  their  exercise  for  the 
day  consists  in  shopping  or  paying  calls,  neither 
of  which  are  conducive  to  health.  The  constantly 
recurring  headaches  from  which  many  women 
of  this  type  suffer  might  be  cured,  along  with  the 
observance  of  the  'other  rules  of  health,  by  the 
observance  of  a  daily  walk  and  gentle  exercises 
within  their  own  homes. 

Indoor  exercise  is  the  department  in  which  so 
many  people  go  wrong.  A  young  man  is  con- 
vinced of  the  necessity  of  keeping 
Indoor  himself  fit,  and  the  way  in  which 
exercise,  as  a  rule  he  sets  about  it  is  to 
practise  with  a  pair  of  heavy 
dumb-bells  before  breakfast,  or  else  to  buy  a 
developer  and  use  it,  for  the  purpose  of  getting 
his  muscles  up. 

Now  Mr.  Sandow  himself  has  always  been  the 
first  to  warn  people  against  the  abuse  or  over-use 
of  the  developer,  and  against  practising  with 
heavy  dumb-bells.  I  was  once  amazed  to  hear 
that  great  authority  say  that  he  could  keep  his 
muscles  in  perfect  condition  with  two  -  pound 
dumb-bells.  Little  wonder,  therefore,  that  men 
of  ordinary  physique  find  themselves,  after  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  with  seven-pound  ones,  stale 
and  tired  for  the  remainder  of  the  day. 

We  have  to  bear  in  mind  that  the  most 
important  muscle  in  the  body  is  the  heart. 


108  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

Cases  are  not  uncommon  in  which  young  fellows 
have  developed  their  limb-muscles  at  the  expense 
of  this  vital  organ,  with  the  result  that  they  have 
been  more  or  less  incapacitated  ever  afterwards, 
It  may  be  very  delightful  to  possess  a  biceps 
twice  as  large  as  your  neighbour's,  but  beyond 
the  gratification  of  contracting  it  for  their  approval 
there  is  nothing  to  be  gained,  unless  you  are 
going  to  be  a  navvy,  that  is  to  say.  And  that  is 
not  likely  to  be  the  case  with  any  of  my  readers, 
for  navvies  are  not  in  the  habit  of  perusing  books 
on  health.  They  do  not  need  to  do  so.' 

If  a  man  needs  certain  muscles  specially  strong 
for  his  work,  his  work  will  develop  them  for  him. 
Otherwise  they  are  of  little  use  to  him,  and  he  had 
better  conduct  his  exercises  on  a  sounder  principle . 

The  main  object  of  physical  exercise  is  to  keep 

the  whole  body  fit.     In  choosing  suitable  ones, 

therefore,  it  is  necessary  to  select 

Object  of  those  which  call  upon  all  the 
exercise,  muscles  of  the  body  without  any 
undue  strain  upon  any  particular 
set.  If  any  one  group  is  over-used  there  will 
come  a  time  when  they  will  begin  to  waste  away. 
It  is  well  known  that  in  certain  occupations 
which  throw  great  strain  upon  any  one  part, 
such  as  the  arms  in  the  case  of  porters,  who  have 
to  be  lifting  heavy  loads  constantly,  the  muscles 
of  these  regions  enlarge  enormously  at  first,  but 
often  degenerate  after  a  time,  until  at  last  the 
limbs  in  question  may  be  reduced  almost  to  skin 
and  bone. 

The   best   form  of  exercises  for  purposes  of 


EXERCISE.  109 

general  health  are  those  known  as  Swedish.     No 

dumb-bells    are    required,    though 

Swedish      many    people    find    it    easier    to 

exercises,  practise  them  if  they  have  a  piece 
of  wood  in  each  hand.  The 
number  of  systems  included  in  this  category  is 
legion,  and  people  are  often  perplexed  to  know 
which  one  to  choose.  Some  friend  recommends 
one  set,  then  another  comes  along  and  says  that 
he  has  derived  great  benefit  from  a  different  set, 
and  a  third  strongly  advocates  some  other.  The 
fact  is  there  is  no  advantage  in  any  one  over  the 
rest.  All  are  equally  efficacious  ;  the  great  point 
is  to  do  exercises  of  some  sort.  You  can  easily 
plan  out  a  set  of  your  own,  which  will  do  quite 
as  well  as  any  other. 

Whichever  are  chosen,  it  is  well  to  do  them 
gently  at  first,  and  for  a  short  time  only,  gradually 
increasing  them  as  you  become  more  accustomed 
to  the  movements. 

A  good  selection  to  start  with  is  as  follows. 
Stretch  out  the  arms  in  front,  with  the  finger-tips 
touching  those  of  the  opposite  hand.  Swing  them 
slowly  backwards  as  far  as  they  will  go.  Stretch 
them  out  again  in  the  same  way,  and  try  to  touch 
the  toes,  keeping  the  knees  straight.  Place  the 
hands  on  the  waist  and  bend  the  body  forwards 
as  far  as  possible  and  also  from  side  to  side.  Lie 
on  the  floor  and  raise  the  body  without  the  aid  of 
the  hands  and  with  the  knees  stiff.  Stand  erect  and 
raise  onejeg  slowly,  balancing  on  the  other  foot. 

A  few  simple  exercises  such  as  these  are  quite 
sufficient  to  keep  the  whole  system  in  good 


110  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

order.  Complicated  or  difficult  ones  are  never 
necessary.  The  one  great  point,  more  important 
than  all  else,  is  to  attend  carefully  to  the  breathing 
while  making  the  movements.  Take  deep,  slow 
breaths,  expanding  the  chest  fully  and  exhale 
slowly,  always  breathing  through  the  nose.  If  you 
get  out  of  breath  you  are  either  doing  the  exercises 
wrongly  or  breathing  in  an  incorrect  manner. 

In  addition  to  the  above,  3^ou  can  devise  fresh 
ones  as  you  go  along.  A  good  plan  is  to  take 
each  joint  in  turn,  and  exercise  it.  Thus,  start 
with  the  fingers,  clasping  and  unclasping  the 
hand.  Then  clench  the  fist  and  move  the  wrist 
up  and  down.  Do  the  same  with  the  elbow  and 
shoulder,  and  with  the  different  joints  of  the  lower 
extremities.  Then  bend  the  body  backwards  and 
forwards,  and  the  head  in  the  same  way.  After 
all  that,  there  will  be  few  muscles  in  the  whole 
body  that  have  not  received  their  due  attention. 

The  value  and  the  enjoyment  of  these  exercises 
can  be  increased  very  much  by  getting  other 
people  to  join  you  in  them.  It  is  easier  to 
persevere  with  anything  if  we  have  the  society 
of  others  to  encourage  us.  There  is  a  spirit  of 
emulation  introduced  which  is  always  conducive 
to  success. 

If  you  are  so  fortunate  as  to  have  an  empty 
room  or  shed,  there  is  nothing  better  than  to 
practise  an  imitation  of  some  out- 
Imitation  of  door  game,  such  as  playing  tennis 
games.  against  a  wall.  There  is  a  zest 
about  such  exercises  which  makes 
them  more  profitable  than  those  which  are 


EXERCISE.  Ill 

carried  on  merely  from  a  sense  of  duty.  One  of 
the  finest  forms  of  exercise  is  that  of  skipping, 
both  for  men  and  women.  The  former  need  not 
look  upon  it  as  a  feminine  pursuit,  seeing  that 
some  of  the  best-known  athletes  and  boxers 
employ  it  as  a  means  of  training. 

It  is  simply  astonishing  what  a  difference 
exercise,  either  outdoor  or  indoor,  makes  to  those 
who  carry  it  out  systematically.  After  a  few 
weeks  pale,  languid  people  begin  to  acquire  a 
healthy  colour  and  a  sense  of  vigour  they  have 
never  known  for  years  ;  dyspeptic  ones  may  forget 
that  they  ever  had  a  stomach  ;  whilst  headaches 
that  have  been  a  curse  for  years  are  sometimes 
seen  to  disappear  like  magic.  Life  becomes 
brighter,  for  health  and  happiness  go  together, 
and  the  whole  outlook  becomes  more  cheering. 

All  these  are  active  forms  of  exercise,  but  there 
is  another  sort  which  needs  mention,  viz.  the 
passive,  or  massage,  as  it  is  termed. 
Massage.  Some  people  either  through  general 
weakness  or  some  infirmity  are 
unable  to  take  exercise  for  themselves,  and  in 
such  cases  massage  is  of  great  benefit,  acting  in 
the  same  way,  but  without  any  exertion  on  the 
part  of  the  patient.  The  full  consideration  of 
this  subject  would  need  a  volume  of  its  own,  and 
this  is  hardly  the  place  to  discuss  it  in  greater 
detail.  One  important  fact,  however,  requires 
mention.  It  is  imperative  that  a  prolonged  rest 
of  an  hour  or  two  at  least  should  be  allowed  after 
each  rubbing.  One  hour  of  massage  is  equivalent 
to  several  hours  of  active  movement. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

BATHS   AND   BATHING. 

THE  skin  plays  an  important  part  in  eliminating 
waste  products  from  the  system.  It  does  this  by 
means  of  the  sweat-glands,  which  are  found 
scattered  all  over  the  body.  These  glands  have 
small  ducts,  ending  in  minute  apertures  on  the 
surface  of  the  skin.  If  these  apertures  are 
allowed  to  become  blocked  up,  either  by  dirt  or 
by  the  natural  grease  of  the  body,  the  skin  cannot 
carry  out  its  duties.  The  result  is  that  a  certain 
-amount  of  this  waste  matter  is  kept  back, 
and  the  health  suffers  in  consequence  sooner  or 
later. 

Neither  cold  baths  nor  outdoor  bathing  can 
get  rid  of  this  grease,  so  that  a  hot  bath  occa- 
sionally is  essential,  even  in  the 

Hot  baths,  case  of  people  who  bathe  regu- 
larly every  morning,  either  at 
home  or  out  of  doors. 

The  usual  objection  to  hot  baths  is  that  people 
take  cold  unless  they  go  straight  to  bed  as  soon 
as  they  have  dried  themselves.  Otherwise,  so 
they  say,  they  go  on  perspiring  and  take  a  chill. 
Now  this  is  due,  not  to  their  having  had  a  hot 
bath,  but  because  the  water  was  not  hot  enough 
when  they  got  out  of  it.  Hot  water  has  the  same 
effect  as  cold  in  bracing  up  the  sweat  pores,  and 


BATHS    AND   BATHING.  113 

preventing  them  from  continuing  to  pour  out 
unnecessary  perspiration.  Lukewarm  water,  on 
the  other  hand,  leaves  the  skin  lax  and  moist, 
and  it  is  then  that  people  are  liable  to  chills. 
Hence  the  popular  idea  of  running  in  some  cold 
water  before  the  bath  is  finished  is  a  mistake,  as 
it  brings  about  the  very  conditions  we  are  anxious 
to  avoid. 

An  indispensable  adjunct  to  every  bathroom  is 
a  thermometer,  by  which  the  temperature  of  the 
water  can  be  accurately  gauged.  The  common 
plan  of  testing  it  by  the  hand  is  fallacious,  as  the 
result  depends  largely  on  the  state  of  the  hand  at 
the  time.  If  the  fingers  are  cold  when  dipped  in, 
the  water  feels  warmer  than  it  usually  is,  and 
vice  versa. 

The  best  temperature  at  which  to  take  a  hot 
bath  is  ioo°F.  or  just  below  that.  If  more  water 
is  added  afterwards  it  should  be  hot,  not  cold,  so 
as  to  maintain  the  temperature  at  the  same  level. 
With  the  aid  of  these  precautions  it  will  be  found 
that  drying  is  a  simple  process,  and  the  skin  is  left 
in  a  delightful  state  without  any  undue  perspira- 
tion to  follow.  »So  far  from  causing  a  liability  to 
chills,  it  is  perfectly  safe  to  emerge  from  a  bath 
of  this  sort  and  take  a  walk  immediately  after 
dressing,  even  on  a  winter's  day,  without  suffering 
from  any  ill-effects.  People  sometimes  complain 
that  a  hot  bath  makes  them  feel  faint.  This  is 
due  to  the  steam,  not  to  the  water  itself.  If  the 
windows  are  kept  open  this  discomfort  may  be 
entirely  avoided. 

There  is  nothing  more  refreshing  than  a  bath  of 
Q 


114  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

this  sort,  not  only  in  winter,  but  in  hot  weather 
also,  as  many  athletes  are  beginning  to  find  out. 
After  a  hard  walk  or  game  it  effectually  relieves 
the  aching  of  the  limbs,  and  helps  to  prevent  the 
stiffness  which  is  apt  to  follow.  The  good  effect 
of  the  bath  may  be  increased  by  massaging  the 
limbs  while  they  are  under  water.  The  proper 
way  to  do  this  is  to  grip  the  muscles  between  the 
two  hands,  and  squeeze  them  with  a  sort  of 
sliding  movement  towards  the  extremities,  after- 
wards kneading  them  a  bit  at  a  time. 

Hot  baths  are  an  excellent  remedy  for  nausea 
or  biliousness.  A  quarter  of  an  hour  in  a  bath  at 
a  temperature  of  iooQF.  will  often  be  found  to 
remove  all  unpleasant  symptoms  and  restore  the 
appetite  and  digestion.  They  are  also  a  boon  to 
rheumatic  persons,  helping  to  banish  the  muscular 
pains  and  general  feeling  of  malaise. 

All  this  they  do  by  causing  the  blood  to  circulate 
more  freely,  and  dilating  the  vessels  on  the 
surface,  and  in  so  doing  relieving  the  congestion 
in  the  muscles  and  internal  organs.  In  this  way 
they  promote  the  elimination  of  the  waste 
products  which  cause  tiredness,  fatigue  and  most 
of  the  other  aches  and  pains  from  which  tired 
humanity  is  liable  to  suffer.  It  is  not  necessary 
to  wait  until  bedtime  before  having  a  hot  bath. 
Its  most  beneficial  effects  can  'be  obtained  by 
taking  it  in  the  evening  on  returning  from  work. 
It  is  then  that  it  is  most  refreshing,  and  if  made 
use  of  at  this  time  of  day,  will  enable  many  a  man 
who  has  come  home  fagged  out  to  spend  an 
enjoyable  evening,  when  otherwise  he  would  be 


BATHS   AND   BATHING.  115 

sitting  down  too  tired  to  read  or  take  part  in 
any  amusement. 

Cold  baths  do  not  suit  everyone.     In  fact,  there 

are  comparatively  few  people  who  derive  any  benefit 

from    them.     Many    persons    find 

Cold         that  if  they  have  one  in  the  morning 

Baths.        before    breakfast    it    leaves    them 

tired,  and  with  no  appetite  for  the 

meal.     They  only  take  them  because  they  are 

popularly    supposed    to    be    invigorating.     The 

proof  of  the  pudding  is  in  the  eating.     If  a  man 

feels  well,  in  a  comfortable  glow,  and  ready  for 

his  breakfast  after  them,  they  are  good  for  him. 

If  he  feels  otherwise,  and  does  not  enjoy  the  bath 

while  he  is  in  it,  they  are  bad  for  him.     There  are 

some  people  who  dread  cold  baths,  and  yet  go  on 

having   them   from   a  mistaken   sense   of  duty. 

The  only  explanation  is  that  they  must  think 

they   do   them   good   just   because   they   are   so 

unpleasant,  in  the  same  way  that  some  people 

have  more  faith  in  medicine  if  it  tastes   nasty. 

Of  one  thing  there  is  no  doubt.  Rheumatic 
persons  and  those  liable  to  bronchial  affections 
should  never  take  them  under  any  circumstances. 
Nor  should  delicate  or  elderly  people  make  use 
of  them. 

The  disadvantage  of  a  cold  bath  at  home  is 

that  the  feet  are  chilled  before  the  head.     And 

wetting  the  hair  with  cold  water 

The  cold     does  not  get  over  this  inconvenience. 

shower.       A  shower  bath,  however,  does  away 

with  this  objection  altogether,  and 

on  this  account  there  is  no  form  of  cold  bath  equal 


116  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

to  it.  The  head  can  be  held  under  the  water 
first,  and  after  that  the  bather  steps  in  and  the 
body  and  limbs  receive  the  shock  at  the  same 
time,  so  that  the  lower  extremities  are  not  chilled 
before  the  rest.  The  unfortunate  part  of  it  is 
that  so  few  houses  are  fitted  up  with  shower 
baths. 

Whatever  form  of  cold  tub  is  used,  it  is 
advis^oie  to  stay  in  for  a  very  short  time  only. 
Even  robust  people  can  rarely  stand  more  than 
a  few  minutes  of  it. 

It  is  generally  supposed  that  a  cold  bath  should 
be  taken  when  the  stomach  is  empty.  Such  is 
not  the  case,  however.  While  no  one  would  be 
so  foolish  as  to  take  it  immediately  after  a  meal, 
yet  a  drink  of  hot  tea  or  water  just  before  going 
in  will  enable  many  persons  to  enjoy  and  get 
benefit  from  them,  who  could  not  do  so  otherwise. 

Outdoor  bathing,  either  in  sea  or  river,  does  not 

agree  with  everyone,  although  some  people  can 

enjoy  a  bathe  who  are  unable  to 

Outdoor      take  a  cold  bath  at  home.      The 

bathing.  common  mistake  is  in  bathing 
before  breakfast,  when  the  system 
is  at  a  low  ebb,  owing  to  the  long  abstention  from 
food.  It  may  be  all  right  for  strong  young  people, 
but  for  many  others  it  is  unsuitable  and  even 
dangerous.  The  best  time,  as  a  rule,  is  about 
two  hours  after  breakfast,  when  the  body  has  been 
fortified  by  the  morning  meal,  and  has  had  time 
to  digest  it. 

The  great  point  is  to  get  thoroughly  warm 
before  entering  the  water.  A  brisk  walk  is  the 


BATHS   AND    BATHING.  117 

best  way  of  accomplishing  this,  or  if  that  does  not 
produce  the  wished-for  result,  take  a  hot  drink. 
The  body  heat  falls  rapidty  whilst  in  the  water, 
and  hence  it  is  advisable  to  be  in  a  glow  before 
going  in. 

For  the  same  reason  do  not  waste  time  over 
your  undressing,  and  always  remove  the  upper 
part  of  the  clothing  first,  leaving  the  stockings 
to  the  last.  It  is  the  feet  which  are  specially 
liable  to  be  attacked  by  the  cold,  and  it  is  there- 
fore necessary  to  keep  them  warm  as  long  as 
possible. 

Before  taking  the  plunge,  pour  cold  water  over 
the  head  ;  simply  dabbing  the  hair  with  it  is  not 
sufficient.  After  that,  get  the  whole  body  under 
water  without  any  delay,  and  keep  it  under  all 
the  time  you  are  in.  It  is  the  evaporation  from 
the  surface  of  the  skin  which  lowers  the 
temperature,  rather  than  the  contact  of  the  body 
with  the  water. 

Do  not  stay  in  too  long.  If  you  remain  until 
you  feel  you  have  had  enough,  it  generally  means 
that  you  have  had  too  much.  Then  dry  yourself 
rapidly,  using  two  towels,  the  first  to  take  off  the 
greater  part  of  the  moisture,  reserving  the  second 
to  dry  yourself  with  thoroughly.  Just  as  you 
began  undressing  from  the  upper  part  of  the  body 
downwards,  so  dry  and  dress  in  the  inverse  order, 
rubbing  the  feet  and  legs  and  putting  on  the 
stockings  and  nether  garments  first.  After  that, 
if  you  are  feeling  chilly,  have  a  hot  drink  and  some 
biscuits  or  other  light  food. 

Of  all  forms  of  baths  there  is  none  so  refreshing 


118  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

as  Turkish   baths.     The  hot  air  which  produces 

the  perspiration    also  causes  it  to 

Turkish      evaporate.     The    sweat-ducts    are 

Baths.        cleansed   from   within    as   well   as 

from    without    by    means    of    the 

profuse  perspiration,  and  the  relief  to  the  system 

is  very  great. 

The  patients  who  benefit  most  are  those  suffer- 
ing from  kidney  trouble  or  rheumatism.  In  the 
latter  case  the  complaint  is  due  to  the  presence  of 
excessive  waste  matter  in  the  tissues  ;  in  the 
former  to  the  fact  that  one  of  the  outlets  is  more 
or  less  deranged.  Free  sweating  is  of  untold 
advantage  in  both,  as  it  enables  the  skin  to  do 
double  duty  and  help  to  eliminate  the  poisonous 
material. 

Of  late  there  has  been  a  tendency  to  treat 
common  colds  and  influenza  by  means  of  these 
baths,  but  in  many  cases  they  only  increase  the 
catarrh,  instead  of  relieving  it.  Considering  the 
infectious  nature  of  colds  of  all  sorts  too,  it  is 
hardly  fair  to  other  people  to  contaminate  the 
air  in  the  bathing-rooms. 

People  with  weak  hearts,  and  full-blooded 
persons  with  any  tendency  to  apoplexy,  should 
avoid  Turkish  baths,  as  they  are  not  suitable  in 
either  of  these  conditions. 

The  proper  way  to  take  them  is  to  devote 
plenty  of  time  to  the  process.  On  entering,  stay 
in  the  first  room,  the  moderately  hot  one,  until 
all  feeling  of  oppression  has  passed  off.  Then 
move  on  into  the  second,  the  hot  room  as  it  is 
called.  The  third  one,  called  the  oven,  should 


BATHS   AND   BATHING.  119 

never  be  used,  as  the  heat  is  too  intense  to  be 
safe. 

It  is  best  to  be  content  with  a  mild  perspiration 
at  first,  and  to  stay  in  too  short  a  time  rather  than 
too  long.  People  are  apt  to  think  that  the  more 
they  perspire  the  better  they  will  be.  But  that 
is  not  the  case,  and,  what  is  more,  there  is  an 
element  of  danger  in  prolonging  the  process.  So 
much  liquid  may  be  abstracted  from  the  system 
that  the  impure  matter  circulating  in  the  blood 
becomes  too  concentrated,  and  instead  of  being 
thrown  off  may  be  deposited  in  some  muscle  or 
joint,  giving  rise  to  an  attack  of  rheumatism. 
In  this  way  the  very  mischief  is  precipitated  that 
we  are  anxious  to  avoid.  Taken  quietly  and  with 
discrimination,  Turkish  baths  are  one  of  the 
greatest  boons  to  suffering  humanity. 

One  of  the  most  important  details  is  the  rest 
afterwards.  This  should  never  be  less  than  half 
an  hour,  and  an  hour  or  more  is  preferable  when 
it  can  be  managed.  The  whole  system  needs 
this  period  of  rest  in  order  to  get  back  to  its 
ordinary  routine,  and  without  it  much  of  the 
benefit  of  the  bath  is  lost. 

Once  a  week  is  quite  enough,  and  in  many  cases 
once  every  two  or  three  weeks  is  sufficient  to  keep 
the  system  active  and  healthy. 

One  other  point  should  be  kept  in  mind.  Seeing 
that  so  much  liquid  is  lost  in  the  form  of  perspira- 
tion during  the  process,  it  is  advisable  to  sip  water 
freely,  both  during  the  process  and  after  it. 

If  these  precautions  are  observed  these  baths 
will  prove  beneficial  to  mind  and  body  alike, 


120  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

eliminating  the  impurities,  improving  appetite 
and  digestion,  and  restoring  the  sense  of  vigour 
and  well-being. 

In  these  ways  both  Turkish  and  plain  hot  water 
baths  are  of  the  greatest  service  in  preventing  the 
onset  of  neurasthenia  and  its  successor,  break- 
downs. The  time  spent  in  taking  them  will  be 
repaid  a  hundred  times  in  an  increased  enjoyment 
of  life  and  powers  of  work. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

REST. 

THERE  are  more  tired  people  in  the  world  to-day 
than  ever  before.  Nervous  exhaustion  is  taking 
the  place  of  the  old-fashioned  stomach-aches  and 
coughs  and  colds  as  the  prevailing  complaint  of 
the  times. 

There  is  a  spirit  of  unrest  which  is  having  a  bad 

effect  on  many  nervous  systems.     The  air  is  dark 

with  threatened  strikes,  wars  and 

Unrest.       rumours  of  wars,  and  the  clash  of 

conflicting   parties.     The   sense   of 

impending    calamity    fills    the    minds    of    many 

nervous      people      with      anxious      forebodings. 

Probably  things  are  not  much  worse,  if  any,  than 

they  have  often  been  in  previous  times,  but  news 

is  transmitted  to  and  from  all  parts  of  the  world 

with  a  swiftness  that  would  have  seemed  incredible 

even  a  few  decades  ago.     We  hear  of  things  that 

are  happening,  not  of  things  that  have  happened, 

and  there  is  a  vast  difference  between  the  two 

so  far  as  comfort  of  mind  is  concerned. 

Town  life  has  become  much  more  wearing  since 

petrol   has   displaced   the   horse   and   made   the 

speed  of  traffic  so  vastly  greater 

Conditions    than    before.     And    the    noise    of 

of  modern    motor  drays  and  buses  is  exercising 

life.          a    bad    effect    on    many    people's 

nerves.     They  may  become  so  used 


IX  I 


122  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

to  the  row  that  they  do  not  appear  to  notice  it, 
but  its  irritating  influence  on  the  nervous  system 
is  there  all  the  same. 

The  ever-increasing  stress  of  competition  is 
making  work  a  strenuous  affair.  But  what  is 
worse  is  the  fact  that  this  stress  is,  with  many 
persons,  invading  their  hours  of  leisure.  We 
grudge  no  man  his  pleasures,  but  when  the  rush 
for  amusement  is  carried  on  to  the  detriment 
of  a  body  that  is  already  fagged  out,  it  is  time 
to  stop  .and  think  where  it  is  all  going  to 
lead  to. 

The    phrase    "  day    and    night,    Sunday    and 

week-day  "  is  a  significant  one.     It  expresses  the 

need  for  periodic  rest  as  imposed 

Periodic      by  Nature.    Loss  of  sleep  is  equally 

rest.         harmful,  whether  it  be  due  to  work 

or  pleasure.     And  whatever  views 

people  may  hold  in  regard  to  the  old-fashioned 

Sunday,  when  considered  from  a  religious  point 

of  view,  there  is  only  one  when  we  look  at  it  from 

the  medical  side.     Change  is  rest,  as  we  shall  have 

occasion  shortly  to  emphasise,  but  the  increasing 

tendency  to  rush  off  motoring  and  golfing  on 

Sundays  is   not   change,    for  the    simple  reason 

that  most  of  the  people  who  indulge  in  these 

pursuits    are    the    very   ones   who    motor   and 

golf  most  days  of  the  week.     The  old-fashioned 

Sabbath  was  no  doubt  carried    to  the  opposite 

extreme,    but    it    did     at    any    rate   infuse    an 

atmosphere   of  restfulness,    which  is  lacking  in 

these  days. 

It  is  not  that  we  wish  to  encourage  idleness. 


REST.  123 

That  is  a  very  different  thing  from  rest,  which 
implies  cessation  from  work.  There 

What  rest    is  a  form  of  languor  due  to  want  of 

is.  exercise,  and  we  meet  with  people 

who  are  always  tired  because  they 

lounge  about  too  much.     But  there  are  others 

who  are  constantly  feeling  languid  because  they 

have  not  learned  how  and  when  to  take  suitable 

rest. 

Some  people  are  always  on  the  go.  They 
habitually  walk  beyond  their  proper  pace  and  rush 
at  their  work  and  their  amusements  with  feverish 
anxiety.  Even  when  they  are  playing  golf,  they 
hurry  after  the  ball  as  though  they  were  afraid 
it  would  run  away  from  them  if  they  did  not  catch 
it  up. 

To  people  of  this  type  illness,  which  is  usually 
regarded  as  a  misfortune,  often  proves  a  blessing 
in  disguise.  For  it  has  one  great  advantage, 
in  that  it  imposes  upon  the  system  the  much- 
needed  rest  wrhich  has  been  denied  it. 

We  compared  the  human  body  to  an  engine. 
Yet  in  one  respect  this  simile  falls  short.  For 
man  is  a  living  being,  and  it  is  on  this  account 
that  he  needs  something  that  the  engine  can  do 
without.  The  marvellously  delicate  machinery 
of  his  body  must  have  rest.  An  engine  is  liable 
to  wear  and  tear,  no  matter  how  well  it  may  be  put 
together  ;  even  if  it  is  made  of  the  best  metal  to 
be  obtained,  and  constructed  as  nearly  perfectly 
as  possible,  there  is  always  bound  to  be  a  certain 
amount  of  friction  and  concussion,  which  will  in 
time  lower  its  quality  and  impair  its  efficiency. 


124  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

But  the  machinery  of  the  human  system  is  subject 
to  more  than  simple  wear  and  tear  ;  for  there  is, 
as  we  have  seen  already,  a  chemical  process 
constantly  taking  place,  which  produces  waste 
matter  that  must  be  drained  away  every  day  of  our 
lives. 

Yet  in  spite  of  this,  it  is  in  a  vastly  better 
position  than  the  engine,  for  it  possesses  at  the 
same  time  a  faculty  of  self-repair.  We  cannot 
take  out  parts  and  replace  them  by  spare  ones, 
but  we  do  not  need  to  do  so.  The  most  marvellous 
thing  about  the  human  system  is  the  fact  that 
waste  and  repair  go  on  simultaneously.  But  in 
order  that  this  may  take  place  the  system  must 
have  periodic  rest. 

The  object  of  rest  is  not  merely  to  add  to  man's 

happiness  and  enjoyment,  to  give  him  time  fcr 

pleasure.     It  is  to  recuperate  his 

Object        body  and  mind.     If  he  were  to  go 

of  rest.       on     using     his    muscles    without 

any  relaxation  they  would  gradually 

waste,  and  after  a  time  would  waste  rapidly  and 

to  a  serious  extent.     If  he  were  to  exercise  his 

mind  without  any  respite,  the  delicate  brain-cells 

would  become  exhausted,  for  like   the   muscles 

they    would    have     no     chance     of     renewing 

themselves. 

Strong,  hardy  sailors  who  have  had  to  undergo 
a  prolonged  physical  strain,  as  in  the  case  of  ship- 
wreck, have  been  known  to  suffer  ever  afterwards 
from  debility  ;  their  hearts  and  muscles  had  been 
over-exerted  to  such  an  extent  that  they  were 
never  able  to  recover  themselves.  And  people 


REST.  125 

who  have  had  to  go  through  a  long  stretch  of 
brain  work  have  lain  in  a  stupor  for  weeks  after- 
wards, unable  to  use  their  minds  or  even  know 
what  was  going  on  around  them. 

Rest  is  therefore  of  all  considerations  of  health 
the  most  important,  and  it  demands  our  closest 
attention.  Particularly  so  because  it  is  those 
who  need  it  most  who  find  the  greatest  difficulty 
in  obtaining  it.  Active-minded  people  abhor  rest ; 
to  their  minds  it  savours  of  "  doing  nothing/' 
They  do  not  understand  that  it  is  a  positive 
mode  of  treatment,  and  that  a  definite  process  of 
repair  and  building  up  is  going  on  all  the  time 
in  the  brain-cells  and  the  various  tissues  of  the 
body. 

The  question  of  rest  is  simple  enough  in  the 
case  of  animals  and  human  beings  of  a  low  order. 
The  yokel  if  he  feels  inclined  for  a  sleep  lies  down 
and  takes  it  just  as  the  dumb  creatures  do.  And 
many  a  man  of  education  and  refinement  has 
envied  the  tramp  his  siesta  in  the  roadside  ditch. 
He  would  give  anything  to  be  able  to  get  a  rest 
like  that  whenever  he  wanted  it.  His  delicately- 
balanced  nervous  system  needs  repose  far  more 
than  that  of  the  tramp  or  the  peasant.  Yet, 
instead  of  submitting  to  lie  dormant,  it  is  his 
nervous  system  which  keeps  him  awake.  It  is 
like  a  fractious  child,  which  will  neither  go  to  sleep 
nor  allow  its  parents  to  get  their  rest. 

It  is  a  matter  of  the  utmost  consequence, 
therefore,  to  consider  in  what  way  rest  can  most 
easily  be  obtained  both  for  body  and  mind. 

Bodily  rest  can  only  be   got  by  having  the 


126  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

muscles  completely  relaxed.     The  ordinary  sitting 

position  in  a  chair  is  not  sufficient, 

Bodily        as  the  lower  extremities  are  still 

rest.         more    or    less    rigid.    The    chair 

should  be   an   easy  one,   with   an 

extension  or  a  footstool  to  support  the  lower  limbs 

just  a  trifle  below  the  level  of  the  body.     A  better 

rest  can  be  had,  however,  by  lying  full  length  on  a 

couch  or  bed  with  the  arms  and  legs  sprawling  in 

the  manner  adopted  by  the  tramp  when  he  takes 

a  sleep  by  the  wayside.     This  attitude  assures  ease 

if  not  elegance.     And  it  does  more  than  relax  the 

limbs,  for  it  gives  repose  to  the  heart  as  well. 

When  the  body  is  in  this  position  the  heart  beats 

more  slowly  than  when  we  are  standing,  walking, 

or  even  sitting. 

When  we  consider  that  from  the  moment  of 
birth  to  that  of  death  this  organ  is  working 
incessantly,  it  is  evident  that  it  needs  rest  more 
than  any  other  muscle  in  the  body.  Suppose 
a  hard-working  man  takes  a  quarter  of  an  hour's 
loll  in  the  middle  of  each  day  ;  multiply  this  by 
365  and  again  by  the  number  of  his  adult  years, 
and  you  will  have  some  idea  as  to  the  amount  of 
rest  his  heart  has  had  by  the  time  he  has  reached 
middle  age. 

This  position  of  ease  and  relaxation  has  a 
beneficial  effect  on  the  mind  also.  When  we  are 
thinking  hard  we  instinctively  contract  our 
muscles.  The  face  of  the  thinker  is  always 
associated  with  a  rigid  cast  of  countenance  and 
a  furrow  between  the  brows.  Conversely,  when 
our  muscles  are  more  or  less  stiffened  the  mind 


REST.  127 

tends  to  be  concentrated  at  the  same  time.  Relax 
the  muscles,  and  the  mind  also  tends  to  relax. 

There  is  no  more  efficacious  restorative  to  a 
tired  body  than  a  hot  bath,  as  hot  as  it  can  be 
borne,  in  fact.  It  should  be  fairly  deep  too,  so 
that  the  whole  body  is  immersed.  Ten  minutes 
or  so  of  this  acts  marvellously  as  a  refreshing  tonic 
to  body  and  mind  alike,  especially  if  followed 
by  a  rest  in  the  horizontal  position. 

Rest  for  the  wearied  mind  is  of  even  greater 

importance  than  for  the  body,  for  a  tired  brain 

is  apt  to  keep  the  latter  on  the  rack. 

Rest  of       Every  evening  thousands  of  men 

mind.        and  women  reach  home  too  tired  to 

think  and  too  tired  to  stop  thinking, 

especially  on  the  very  subject  which  should  be 

strictly  left  alone,  viz.  their  daily  work. 

It  is  not  unnatural  that  they  should  feel  tired. 
Yet  they  do  not  always  look  at  it  in  this  light. 

One  Sunday  evening  a  parson  was  sitting  by  his 
fireside  with  a  book  in  his  hand  which  he  was 
vainly  trying  to  read.  Time  after  time  he  had 
taken  it  up,  only  to  put  it  on  one  side  again  after 
scanning  a  few  lines.  He  had  a  look  of  utter 
weariness  and  dejection,  and  every  now  and  then 
would  start  out  of  his  chair  and  pace  restlessly 
up  and  down.  It  was  not  the  first  time  he  had 
gone  through  this  experience,  and  he  was  not  the 
only  one  of  his  kind  who  at  that  very  hour  and  in 
a  precisely  similar  manner  was  having  a  bad  time 
of  it. 

Now  what  was  it  that  was  troubling  him  ?  In 
the  first  place  he  was  tired.  That  was  not  to  be 


128  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

wondered  at,  seeing  that  he  had  conducted  three 
services  in  the  course  of  the  day.  Most  persons 
from  the  navvy  to  the  king  feel  tired  when  their 
day's  work  is  finished,  but  this  does  not  worry 
them.  There  is  no  more  delightful  sensation  than 
that  of  real  fatigue. 

What  chiefly  troubled  him  was  the  fact  that 
although  the  book  he  was  tr}dng  to  read  was  one 
dealing  with  spiritual  matters,  he  was  not  only 
unable  to  give  his  mind  to  it,  but  could  not  even 
arouse  any  interest  in  the  subject.  He  did  not 
see  that  it  was  the  most  natural  thing  in  the 
world  that  this  should  be  so.  If  a  surgeon  were  to 
perform  three  operations  in  one  day,  I  am  quite  sure 
that  he  would  wish  to  talk  or  think  about  anything 
except  surgery.  And  if  a  pianist  gave  three 
recitals  in  the  day,  I  believe  that  the  last  subject 
which  would  interest  him  would  be  music.  His 
faculty  for  it,  like  the  surgeon's  for  his  own  art, 
would  be  exhausted  for  the  time  being.  Why 
then  should  the  parson  who  had  thrown  all  his 
spiritual  energies  into  his  Sunday's  work  be 
surprised  to  find  that  his  active  interest  in  such 
matters  was  in  abeyance  ?  His  faculties  had  been 
confined  to  a  certain  groove  all  day,  and  refused 
to  work  any  longer  on  those  lines. 

That  parson  was  only  a  type,  if  a  pronounced 
one,  of  many  other  people,  business  men,  lawyers, 
doctors,  stockbrokers  and  any  other  you  can 
mention,  who  cannot  make  out  how  it  is  that  if 
they  think  of  their  work  in  the  evenings  they  only 
worry  over  it.  Yet  it  forces  itself  upon  their 
notice,  and  they  cannot  shake  it  off.  They  seek 


REST.  129 

rest  and  find  none  because  they  seek  it  in  the 
wrong  way.  They  try  to  sit  still  and  think  of 
nothing,  and  that  is  the  most  difficult  thing  on 
earth  for  any  intelligent  human  being  to  attempt. 

We  can  arrest  the  movements  of  the  body,  but 
it  is  infinitely  more  difficult  to  stop  the  workings 
of  the  mind.  The  engine  is  going  at  full  speed, 
and  we  are  unable  to  pull  it  up.  But  we  can  do 
something  equally  efficacious,  we  can  switch  it  on 
to  a  different  line. 

We  can  give  it  change.     And  change  is  rest. 

There  is  nothing  more  wearying  to  a  mind  that  is 

tired  and  yet  strung  up   than  for 

Change  is    any  man  or  woman  to  sit  gazing 

rest.         moodily  at  the  fire,  fretting  their 

nervous  systems  with  the  worries 

that  should  have  been  left  behind.     Recreation 

is  as  indispensable  to  health  as  food  itself. 

A  fascinating  novel,  a  pleasant  game  or  an 
absorbing  hobby  will  afford  the  wearied  brain  its 
much-needed  relaxation. 

And  when,  in  one  or  other  of  these  ways,  the 
mind  has  been  enabled  to  settle  down  into  a 
quieter  groove,  it  will  be  in  a  vastly  better  condition 
to  secure  the  ideal  form  of  rest,  nature's  sweet 
restorer,  sleep. 

So  important  are  these  considerations,  sleep, 
recreation  and  a  kindred  one,  holidays,  that  they 
deserve  more  than  a  passing  reference.  In  the 
next  few  chapters,  therefore,  we  shall  describe 
them  more  fully. 


10 


CHAPTER    XV. 

SLEEP. 

THE  ideal  form  of  rest  for  body  and  mind  is  sleep, 
for  during  it  the  muscles  are  completely  relaxed, 
the  heart  beats  quietly,  the  functions  of  the 
various  organs  are  suspended  to  a  very  large 
degree,  and  the  brain  is  in  oblivion. 

This  question  is  one  of  paramount  importance. 
The  individual  who  neglects  to  secure  the 
requisite  amount  of  sleep  is  committing  a  crime 
against  himself,  for  which  he  will  have  to  pay  the 
penalty  sooner  or  later.  The  experience  of 
centuries  has  proved  that  the  average  man  or 
woman  needs  eight  hours  of  it  daity,  and  that 
means  that  they  ought  to  be  in  bed  for  eight  and 
a  half  hours. 

It  is  not  sufficient  that  these  eight  hours  should 

be  taken  at  any  time  of  the  day  or  night  that 

happens  to  be  convenient.     The  old 

Beauty       idea  of  "  beauty  sleep  "  is  perfectly 

sleep.        correct,  for  there  is  no  rest  equal  to 

that  obtained  during  the  first  part 

of  the  night,  and  no  amount  of  lying  in  bed  in 

the  morning  can  make  up  for  the  loss  of  it. 

Ask  anyone  who  has  to  work  at  night,  nurses, 
doctors  or  workmen  on  night  shift,  and  they  will 
tell  you  without  any  hesitation  that  such  work 
takes  twice  as  much  out  of  them  as  a  corresponding 


130 


SLEEP.  131 

amount  by  day.  They  will  also  declare,  if  you 
inquire  further,  that  the  sleep  they  get  in  the 
daytime  is  not  half  so  refreshing  as  that  obtained 
during  the  night. 

Human  strength  ebbs  and  flows  with  the 
regularity  of  the  tides,  with  the  difference  that 
the  rise  and  fall  occurs  once  instead  of  twice  in  the 
twenty-four  hours.  The  system  is  at  its  best 
from  about  six  in  the  morning  until  the  evening. 
It  is  at  its  worst  from  about  eleven  at  night  until 
four  in  the  morning,  and  during  those  hours,  if 
people  are  awake,  either  at  work  or  at  play,  and 
even  if  they  have  had  abundance  of  sleep  during 
the  course  of  the  day,  the  heart  tends  to  flag,  and 
all  the  powers  and  faculties  are  lowered.  It  is 
on  that  account  that  people  who  have  to  sit  up 
all  night  begin  to  feel  chilly  and  tired  in  the  dead 
of  night,  even  though  the  room  itself  may  be 
quite  warm.  They  feel  cold  and  uncomfortable, 
simply  because  their  whole  systems  are  depressed. 
It  is  for  the  same  reason  that  people  who  are  ill 
are  almost  always  worse  during  these  hours. 

To  sit  up  night  after  night,  even  with  plenty  of 
rest  in  the  daytime,  is  wearing  to  the  system. 
To  do  it  without  that  daily  rest  would  speedily 
cause  a  collapse  And  people  who  habitually 
sit  up  later  than  they  should  do,  not  going  to  bed 
until  midnight  or  after,  are  in  danger  of  bringing 
about  the  same  catastrophe,  only  in  a  slower 
manner.  There  is  a  measure  of  excitement  about 
these  late  hours  which  makes  them  alluring. 
Many  people  say  that  they  can  work  or  write 
more  easily  or  play  cards  with  greater  zest  then 


132  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

than  at  any  other  time,  but  it  is  a  false  form  of 
stimulant,  for  which  the  system  has  to  pay  a 
heavy  price  later  on. 

Regular  and  early  hours  are  essential  to  health, 
and  the  neglect  of  them  is  often  the  means  of 

starting  a  breakdown,  or  bringing 
Remedies  for  it  to  a  head.  Many  cases  of 
sleeplessness,  insomnia  are  due  to  a  want  of 

punctuality  in  this  respect.  And 
of  all  the  tortures  with  which  mankind  can  be 
afflicted  there  is  none  worse  than  insomnia,  and 
none  that  so  surely  undermines  the  nervous 
system.  One  of  the  most  vital  points  in  the 
prevention  of  breakdowns  is  to  consider  the 
different  ways  in  which  sleep  can  be  obtained — 
and  to  carry  them  out. 

To  emphasise  what  we  have  just  said,  punctuality 
in  going  to  bed  is  the  most  important  point  of  all. 

The  brain,  like  the  digestion,  has  a 

Punctuality   marked     tendency     to     get     into 

in  going      habits,  either  bad  or  good.     And  if 

to  bed.       anyone    goes   to    bed    at    different 

times,  later  on  some  evenings  than 
others,  the  brain  is  liable  to  select  the  latter  hour 
as  the  one  for  falling  asleep.  This  means  that 
even  on  the  nights  when  people  go  to  bed  in  good 
time  they  cannot  get  to  sleep  for  the  next  hour  or 
two.  If  they  would  stick  to  the  one  hour  regularly, 
the  brain  would  soon  learn  to  do  the  same. 

Dozing  in  front  of  the  fire  in  the  evenings  is 
responsible  for  many  bad  nights.  The  mind  gets 
kito  a  half-awake,  half-sleepy  state,  which 
hinders  it  from  obtaining  sound  slumber  when 


SLEEP.  133 

bedtime  comes.  Even  if  people  are  tired  and 
sleepy  at,  say,  nine  o'clock,  it  is  better  for  them 
to  read  or  play  a  game  or  move  about  in  order  to 
avoid  falling  into  a  doze. 

A  brisk  walk  of  ten  minutes  or  so  before  retiring 
is  often  found  to  be  one  of  the  best  sleep-producers. 
Or  if  the  weather  be  too  inclement,  a  few  physical 
exercises  will  have  the  same  effect. 

Late  or  heavy  suppers  are  a  common  cause  of 

insomnia,   especially   that   form   of  it   in   which 

people  fall  into  a  heavy  sleep,  only 

Avoid  late  to  awake  with  a  start  an  hour  or 
suppers.  two  later  and  find  themselves 
unable  to  drop  off  again  until  early 
morning  perhaps. 

Digestion  comes  almost  to  a  dead  stop  during 
sleep,  so  that  sufficient  time  should  be  allowed 
for  the  last  meal  to  be  disposed  of  before  the 
hour  for  retiring.  This  interval  should  be  two 
hours  at  least,  which  means  that  half-past  eight 
is,  as  a  rule,  late  enough  for  the  evening  meal. 
In  any  case,  the  food  which  is  taken  then  ought 
to  be  of  a  light  nature,  and  not  include  pork,  cold 
meat,  or  any  other  article  of  diet  which  is  slow  of 
digestion.  Coffee  and  strong  tea,  especially 
Indian  tea,  are  unsuitable  at  this  hour,  as  they 
tend  to  cause  sleeplessness  of  themselves.  Cocoa, 
made  with  water,  is  a  much  better  beverage  for 
use  with  the  evening  meal  or  after  it. 

Sometimes,  however,  too  long  an  interval 
between  the  last  meal  and  bedtime  will  prevent 
sleep,  as  in  the  case  of  those  who  take  high  tea 
at  half-past  six,  or  dinner  at  seven  or  thereabouts. 


134  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

Under  these  circumstances  light  refreshments,  in 
the  shape  of  a  few  biscuits  with  a  light  drink  of 
some  sort,  will  assist  sleep. 

For  those  who  still,  in  spite  of  attention  to  these 
points,  suffer  from  insomnia,  the  following  hints 
will  be  of  service. 

The  bed  should  be  neither  too  soft  nor  too  hard. 
If  the  former,   as  when  feather  beds  are  used, 
people  are  apt  to  fall  into  a  deep 
The  bed      sleep  and  wake  up  later  feeling  half 
and  bedding,  smothered.     If  too  hard,  the  body 
cannot  rest    properly.      The   bed- 
clothes should  not  be  too  heavy.     An  eiderdown 
quilt  is  worth  several  blankets  for  warmth.     If 
means  will  not  permit  of  this  luxury,  two  or  three 
sheets   of    brown    paper   will    answer   the    same 
purpose,  affording  the  maximum  of  warmth  with 
the  minimum  of  weight.     The  personal  clothing, 
too,  should  be  warm  but  not  heavy,  and  above  all 
the  feet  must  not  be  allowed  to  get  cold.     The  use 
of  night  socks  will  often  cure  insomnia,  which  has 
proved  stubborn  to  all  other  modes  of  treatment. 
The  room  should  be  well  ventilated.     This  is 
of    the    utmost   importance,    and    an    additional 
benefit  can  be  obtained  by  pulling 
Ventilation,   the  bed  away  from  the  wall,  if  only 
for  a  few  inches,  to  allow  of  a  free 
circulation  of  air  all  round. 

An  excellent  plan  is  to  sip  hot  water  at  bedtime, 

not  too  much  of  it,  but  as  hot  as  it  can  be  taken. 

It  is  not  advisable  to  put  spirits 

Sip  into  it,  as  in  that  case  the  dose  has 

hot  water,    to  be  increased  before  long  in  order 

to    maintain    the    good    effect.     A 


SLEEP.  135 

hot  bath,  or  putting  the  feet  into  hot  water,  is  of 
great  use  in  many  cases. 

On  lying  down  it  is  a  good  plan  to  take  long, 

deep,  slow  breaths  for  five  or  ten  minutes.     At 

the  same  time  relax  the  eyes,  in 

Simulate      the  same  way  as  in  gazing  at  the 

sleep.        distant  horizon  or  into  space,   of 

course  keeping  the  eyelids  closed. 

These   two   points   simulate   sleep   to    a   certain 

extent,  and  are  a  valuable  means  of  obtaining  it. 

Reading  in  bed  is  not  a  good  habit,  as  many 

persons  have  found  that  once  they  have  begun 

the    custom    they    cannot    get    to 

Reading      sleep  without  it.     At  the  same  time, 

in  bed.       if  anyone  has  been  lying  awake  for 

hours  it  is  better  to  turn  up  the 

light  and  read  a  book  than  to  lie  awake  in  the 

dark,  thinking  and  worrying  of  one  thing  after 

another.     There  is  no  time  when  life  looms  so 

hopeless   and   forbidding   as   it   does   when   you 

cannot  sleep.     A  better  plan,  however,  is  to  walk 

about  the  room  for  a  few  minutes,  or  to  sit  up  in 

bed  and  keep  the  eyes  open  as  long  as  possible 

without  blinking.     It  happens  not  uncommonly 

that  after  doing  this  people  fall  asleep  as  soon  as 

they  lie  down  again. 

The  aimless  wandering  of  the  mind  from  one 
subject  to  another  and  back  again  may  be 
prevented  by  repeating  a  piece  of  poetry  to  oneself. 
Needless  to  say,  it  must  be  something  with  which 
we  are  thoroughly  acquainted,  otherwise  the 
effort  to  remember  what  is  coming  next  will  oi 
itself  prove  a  barrier  to  sleep. 


136  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

The    best    remedy    of    all    is    to     spend     a 

whole   day  in    the   open    air.     This   will    often 

break    the     sleepless    habit,    and 

Fresh  air  once  a  good  night's  rest  has 
as  a  soporific,  been  obtained  others  will  be 
likely  to  follow. 

There  is  one  other  hint  which  sounds  like 
an  old  wife's  tale.  We  do  not  pretend  to  be 
able  to  explain  it,  but  experience  has  proved 
its  efficacy  in  many  instances.  People  have 
found  that  they  can  sleep  better  with  the  head 
pointing  to  the  north  than  in  any  other  position. 
Every  method,  however  simple  or  inexplicable, 
is  worth  a  trial,  for  there  is  no  condition  so 
distressing  as  insomnia,  or  so  likely  to  lead  to  the 
much-dreaded  neurasthenia. 

People  often  complain  that  they  cannot  sleep 
well  in  the  summer-time.  This  is  owing  to  the 
fact  of  the  mornings  being  light  at  such  an  early 
hour.  This  can  be  remedied  with  the  best  results 
to  the  whole  system  by  the  plan  of  having  dark 
green  blinds  fitted  inside  the  windows. 

Those  who,  through  some  illness  or  infirmity, 

cannot    take    exercise,    will    find    the    greatest 

benefit   from   massage.     If   skilled 

Massage,  massage  cannot  be  obtained,  gentle 
rubbing  of  the  limb  will  fulfil  the 
same  useful  purpose. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

HOLIDAYS. 

THE  greatest  mistake  than  can  be  made  is  to  wait 
for  an  annual  holiday  in  the  expectation  that  it  is- 
going  to  exonerate  us  from  consequences  of  eleven 
months  or  more  of  sinning  against  the  rules  of 
health.  Everyone,  men  and  women  alike,  should 
secure  a  holiday  if  only  for  an  hour  or  so  every 
day  of  their  lives,  in  the  shape  of  some  congenial 
change  of  thought  or  occupation. 

Yet  the  annual  holiday  has  a  place  of  its  own 

in  our  well  being.     It  takes  us  away  from  our 

ordinary    associations,    and   brings 

Value  of  us  into  contact  with  fresh  scenery 
the  annual  and  new  faces,  which  mean  new 

holiday.      personalities.     It    invigorates    our 

bodies   and   tones   up   our   minds, 

broadening  them  and  furnishing  them  with  new 

ideas,  so  that  both  from  the  physical  and  mental 

standpoints  it  is  a  valuable  aid  to  health. 

It  has  a  direct  bearing  on  the  subject  of  break- 
downs, for  change  of  scene  is  a  potent  means  of 
getting  a  man's  mind  out  of  the  monotonous 
groove  which  is  so  wearing  to  his  nervous  system. 
It  has  an  additional  advantage  in  that  it  often 
happens  that  after  a  holiday  he  is  apt  to  keep 
himself  in  contact  with  the  fresh  air  and  exercise, 
and  recreation  also,  which  he  found  so  beneficial 


137 


138  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

when  he  was  away  from  home.  In  the  incipient 
stages  of  breakdown,  too,  a  complete  change  is 
one  of  the  necessary  items  in  treatment. 

Seeing,  therefore,  how  important  it  is  and  what 
it  means  to  so  many  people,  it  is  well  worth  while 
to  consider  how  the  time  and  money  involved 
may  be  expended  to  the  best  advantage. 

The  usual  plan  is  to  fix  on  a  spot  because  we 
have  heard  it  spoken  of  as  a  "  nice  place  to  go  to," 
engage  rooms  by  letter  and  set  off,  hoping  for  the 
best.  Little  wonder  that  the  holiday  often  turns 
out  a  disappointment. 

A  family  was  returning  from  a  visit  to  the 
seaside,  to  which  the  various  members,  parents 
and  children  alike,  had  looked  forward  with  the 
greatest  zest.  The  mother  was  tired  out,  the 
father  seemed  worried,  and  the  children  were 
jaded  and  spiritless.  They  had  been  unfortunate 
in  their  choice  of  a  place,  the  lodgings  had  been 
uncomfortable,  and  the  holiday  had  proved  a 
failure.  Yet  with  a  little  foresight  it  might  have 
been  entirely  different. 

It  is  always  advisable  that  one  of  the  older 
members  of  the  family,  preferably  the  mother, 
should  see  the  locality  and  the  apartments 
before  hand.  We  cannot  expect  the  proprietress 
of  the  apartments  or  the  hotel  to  point 
out  for  our  benefit  that  the  bedrooms  are 
musty  and  badly  ventilated,  the  sheets  damp, 
and  the  sanitary  arrangements  defective.  We 
must  go  and  investigate  these  things  for 
•ourselves. 

The  question  as  to  where  to  go  is  one  that  needs 


HOLIDAYS.  139 

careful  consideration.  The  fact  that  it  suited 
someone  else  is  no  reason  why  it 

Where  to     should  be  adapted  to  our  require- 

go.  ments.     I    once    heard    two    men 

discussing  this  question,    and  one 

was  advising  the  other  to  go  to  a  certain  place  in 

the    Highlands.     He    described    it    in    glowing 

colours,  and  made  it  perfectly  plain  to  the  other 

man  that  if  he  went  anywhere  else  he  was  an 

incompetent  idiot.     It  was  a  village  at  the  bottom 

of  a  deep  valley,  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  lofty 

mountains. 

"  What  do  you  do  with  yourself  if  the  weather 
is  wet  ?  "  the  second  man  asked. 

"  Well,  of  course  you  have  to  stay  indoors," 

"  And  what  do  you  do  when  it  is  fine  ?  " 

"  Oh,  you  climb  the  mountains." 

"  Well,  seeing  that  my  wife  suffers  from  a  weak 
heart,  and  cannot  climb  an  ordinary  hill,  I  think 
we  shall  go  somewhere  else,"  which  he  very 
wisely  did.  It  is  not  much  use  going  to  a  place 
if  you  have  either  to  forego  the  pleasures 
of  the  holiday  or  run  the  risk  of  injuring  your 
health. 

People  who  suffer  from  asthma  are  often  worse 
at  the  seaside,  and  should  always  take  this  into 
consideration.  Those  liable  to  bronchial  attacks 
should  be  wary  as  to  visiting  the  East  Coast. 
They  will  derive  more  benefit  from  the  softer 
atmosphere  of  the  South  or  West. 

It  is  a  mistaken  idea  to  suppose  that  people  who 
are  run  down  will  get  the  most  good  from  going 
to  a  bracing  climate.-  Often  it  has  the  effect  of 


140  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

making  them  irritable  and  restless,  and  their  nerves 
do  better  in  a  more  relaxing  place. 

A  fortnight  on  a  farm  always  sounds  attractive, 
but  in  reality  it  often  turns  out  the  very  opposite. 
The  accommodation  is  apt  to  be  of  a  primitive 
order,  and  the  cooking  by  no  means  up  to  the 
mark,  while  it  is  not  uncommon  to  find  that 
none  of  the  bedroom  windows  will  open.  So 
much,  too,  depends  upon  the  weather,  and  if  it 
happens  to  be  wet,  the  holiday  is  likely  to  be 
devoid  of  pleasure,  and  detrimental  to  health  at 
the  same  time.  Rheumatic  people  should  avoid 
farmhouses,  as  the  atmosphere  is  often  damp, 
especially  in  the  evenings.  Even  if  the  weather 
is  fine,  there  is  a  danger  in  the  dew  which  rises 
from  the  fields  at  sunset.  If  it  is  wet,  the 
consequences  are  apt  to  be  serious.  A  seaside 
place  with  a  light,  sandy  soil  is  better  adapted 
to  such  persons. 

In  these  days  of  quick  and  cheap  travel  no  paper 

on  holidays  is  complete  without  a  reference  to 

the  problem  of    continental  trips. 

Continental   These  are  undoubtedly  a  source  ot 

trips.         interest,    but    not    necessarily    of 

health.     It  may  be  a  delight  to  see 

fresh  places  and  experience  new  national  customs 

and  a  totally  different  diet,  but  in  many  cases 

these  advantages  are  obtained  at  the  expense  of 

bodily  health.     People  who  are  run  down  rarely 

get  any  benefit  from  them.     Even  if  they  have 

the  sense  to  make  for  one  place  and  stay  there  or 

use  it  as  a  centre,  the  long  railway  journey  tires 

them  to  such  an  extent  that  they  cannot  enjoy 


HOLIDAYS.  141 

their  holiday  properly.  Usually  a  visit  to  some 
home  resort  is  of  infinitely  greater  value. 

As  a  rule,  however,  a  continental  trip  means  one 
of  the  advertised  tours,  in  which  a  maximum  of 
travelling  and  sight-seeing  is  carried  out  in  a 
minimum  of  time.  People  who  are  strong 
enough  to  undertake  such  a  task  do  not  come 
under  the  category  of  health-seekers. 

When  the  journey,  either  home  or  foreign, 
includes  a  sea-trip,  it  is  well  to  take  only  light 
food  for  a  day  or  two  previously,  if  you  are 
subject  to  mal  de  mer,  and  also  to  take  a  good 
aperient  the  day  before  starting.  These  pre- 
cautions will  often  serve  to  avoid  the  biliousness 
which  so  frequently  spoils  the  first  few  days  of 
the  holiday. 

In   making   preparations   for   a   holiday   it   is 

necessary  to  be  ready  for  all  sorts  of  weather. 

The  day  may  be  tropical  when  we 

Preparations,  start,  and  like  winter  the  next  day, 

and  it  is  both  uncomfortable  and 

dangerous   to   have   brought   nothing   but   light 

summer  clothing.     There  is  an  old  superstition 

that  people  do  not  catch  cold  by  the  sea.     This  is 

a  huge  mistake,  as  they  are  just  as  liable  to  do  so 

as  at  home,  often  more  so  in  fact,  as  home  comforts 

are  missing.     It  is  a  pitiable  sight  to  see  numbers 

of  people  wandering  about  a  seaside  resort  on  a 

damp,  chilly  day,   looking   cold   and   miserable, 

simply  because  they  think  it  their  duty  to  dress 

in  flannels  while  they  are  on  a  holiday. 

That  phrase  "  on  a  holiday  "  covers  a  multitude 
of  sins.  People  seem  to  think  that  they  can 


142  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

dispense  with  all  the  precautions  they  would  find 
necessary  at  home,  and  that  they  will  escape  the 
consequences  of  running  needless  risks  because 
they  happen  to  be  at  the  seaside  or  in  the  country. 
The  result  is  that  many  people  complain  that 
they  feel  tired  and  headachy  when  they  are  on  a 
holiday,  and  that  much  of  their  pleasure  is  spoiled 
in  consequence.  They  attribute  it  to  the  fact 
of  the  air  being  too  strong  for  them,  or  else  that 
it  is  the  reaction  from  previous  overwork.  It  is 
neither  one  nor  the  other,  but  is  due  to  something 
quite  different. 

For  one  thing,  most  people  eat  too  much  when 

they  are  away,  a  great  deal  more  than  they  would 

dare  to  take  at  home.     Often,  too, 

Diet  on  a    they  indulge  in  things  which  they 

holiday.      know  to  disagree  with  them  in  an 

ordinary  way.     The  consequence  is 

that  they  become  dyspeptic,  and  their  livers  get 

out  of  order.     That  is  why  they  have  headaches 

and  get  tired  so  easily.     If  they  could  take  less 

rather  than  more,   and  eschew  all  those  things 

which  do  not  suit  them,  the  value  of  the  holiday 

would  be  considerably  enhanced.     In  the  case  of 

men,     smoking    to  an  excess  they  would   never 

dream  of  at  home  has  a  similar  effect  in  producing 

a  feeling  of  lassitude. 

The    amount    of    exercise    has    a  pronounced 

influence   on   the    good    of    a  holiday.       People 

who    have    been    overworked    or 

Exercise,     ill,    or    have    neglected    to     take 

regular   exercise    at  home,   should 

be  extremely  careful  as  to  exertion  when  on  a 


HOLIDAYS.  143 

vacation,  particularly  during  the  first  few  days. 
A  man  who  had  saved  up  for  a  long  time  to  have 
a  fortnight  among  the  mountains  did  so  much 
climbing  on  the  first  day  that  he  was  knocked  up 
for  the  remainder  of  his  stay.  Many  others, 
without  going  to  extremes  such  as  this,  feel 
languid  all  the  time  from  the  same  cause.  They 
try  to  make  up  for  lost  time  at  home  by  doing  as 
much  as  possible  in  the  weeks  at  their  disposal, 
and  think  it  a  crime  to  miss  any  opportunity  of 
getting  about.  They  walk  more  in  a  day  than 
they  do  in  a  week  at  home,  and  are  surprised  to- 
find  that  instead  of  feeling  braced  up  they  are 
listless  and  tired  out. 

Unwonted  forms  of  exercise,  too,  such  as  many 
persons  indulge  in  when  away  from  home,  are 
responsible  for  more  than  the  spoiling  of  their 
enjoyment.  For  example,  it  is  not  necessary 
for  them  to  bathe  simply  because  they  are  at 
the  seaside  and  everybody  else  is  having  a  dip. 
Numbers  of  people  in  good  health  do  not  feel 
well  for  the  rest  of  the  day  after  a  bathe,  but  in 
other  cases  the  results  may  be  more  serious. 
Those  who  are  run  down,  or  broken  down,  or  are 
recovering  from  an  illness,  had  better  avoid 
entering  the  water.-  Otherwise  they  run  the  risk 
of  bringing  about  a  recurrence  of  their  malady. 

Exercise  of  all  sorts  is  an  admirable  thing,  but 
like  many  other  good  things  in  this  world  it  has 
to  be  used  with  discretion.  For  alongside  it  there 
is  the  companion  virtue  rest,  and  this  aspect  of  a 
holiday  has  always  to  be  kept  well  to  the  fore, 
especially  in  the  case  of  those  who  are  feeling 


144  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

jaded  or  depressed,  restless,  nervous  or  irritable, 
or  present  any  sign  of  incipient  neurasthenia  or 
breakdown. 

For  people  of  this  type   a  restful  holiday  is 

essential   above    all   things.     But   this   does   not 

mean  that  they  are  to  go  to  some 

The  restful  quiet  spot  with  no  company  except 
holiday.  their  own  thoughts.  It  needs  a 
peculiar  temperament,  such  as  few 
-of  us  possess,  to  spend  a  fortnight  lying  under  a 
hedge  or  on  the  sands  in  some  secluded  place, 
with  hardly  a  soul  to  speak  to.  It  is  all  very 
well  in  theory,  but  in  practice  it  usually  amounts 
to  the  very  opposite.  The  body  may  be  rested, 
but  the  mind  is  apt  to  be  kept  on  the  go.  Black 
care  rides  behind  the  horseman,  and  a  man's 
worries  too  often  accompany  him  and  refuse  to 
be  driven  away,  unless  he  has  some  amusement 
or  interest  to  divert  his  thoughts. 

If  people  happen  to  be  ardent  lovers  of  Nature, 
they  may  find  diversion  in  some  place  noted  for 
its  scenery.  Unfortunately,  however,  the 
.neurasthenic  is  easily  bored,  and  no  matter 
how  beautiful  his  surroundings  may  be,  he 
should  take  care  to  furnish  himself  beforehand 
with  plenty  of  literature  suited  to  his  needs. 
The  local  library  is  often  interesting  when  regarded 
from  the  point  of  view  of  the  antique,  but  it  is 
often  hopeless  as  a  means  of  securing  anything 
worth  reading. 

In  many  cases  people  who  run  down  need 
something  of  a  lighter,  we  might  say  a  more 
•frivolous  nature.  Their  taste  for  scenery,  like 


HOLIDAYS.  145 

many  of  their  other  faculties,  is  tired  out  for  the 
time  being.  Taken  all  round,  the  best  place  for 
the  neurasthenic  is  a  lively  seaside  resort,  where 
he  can  sit  about  and  amuse  himself  with  watching 
the  doings  of  the  people  around  him.  Everything 
in  this  world  has  a  place,  and  a  troop  of  nigger 
minstrels  or  a  Punch  and  Judy  show  may  afford 
rest  and  relaxation  to  a  wearied  mind  when 
mountain  scenery  has  failed  to  do  so. 

In  either  case  one  thing  is  essential.  The 
scenery  or  the  amusements  must  be  obtained  with 
a  minimum  amount  of  fatigue.  On  this  account 
it  is  necessary  to  select  a  place  mild  enough  to 
permit  of  sitting  out  of  doors.  That  is  why  in  the 
great  majority  of  cases  the  neurasthenic  gets  on 
much  better  in  a  warm,  if  relaxing,  climate. 

One  other  point  we  must  emphasise  particularly. 

Many  visitors,  whether  they  are  run  down  or  in 

good  health,  suffer  from  headaches 

Tired  eyes,  when  on  a  holiday  simply  because 
of  tired  eyes.  They  want  to  enjoy 
the  full  benefit  of  the  air,  and  are  also  ambitious 
to  return  home  sunburnt,  so  walk  about  without 
any  proper  shade  to  the  eyes.  They  succeed  in 
getting  tanned,  but  much  of  the  pleasure  of  their 
vacation  is  spoiled  owing  to  a  constant  feeling  of 
ache  and  oppression  in  the  head.  A  wide  hat- 
brim  or  a  pair  of  smoked  glasses  will  avert  this, 
and  add  to  their  enjoyment  in  proportion  as 
they  do  so. 

For  the  same  reason  a  good  rest  in  a  shady 
room  in  the  middle  of  the  day  is  of  the  greatest 
value.  It  rests  not  only  the  eyes  but  everything 
IT 


146  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

else  as  well.  People  regret  the  waste  of  a  single 
minute  when  they  are  taking  a  hard-earned 
holiday,  and  often  ruin  the  good  of  it  by  staying 
out  of  doors  until  they  are  too  tired  to  enjoy 
themselves.  An  hour's  rest  in  the  house  after 
the  midday  meal  will  be  found  to  make  their 
holiday  worth  twice  as  much  as  it  would  be 
otherwise. 

It  is  always  a  pity  to  spoil  the  good  effect  of  a 

holiday  by  returning  home  at  the  last  possible 

minute,  late  at  night  it  may  be. 

Returning    Better  lose  half  a  day  of  the  vaca- 

home.        tion  than  get  up  next  morning  to 

resume  work  tired  out  and  utterly 

unfit  for  it.     For  this  will  rob  the  holiday  of  those 

pleasant  recollections  which  are  one  of  its  greatest 

boons. 


CHAPTER    XVIL 

RECREATION.      HOBBIES 

RECREATION  may  be  divided  into  games,  reading 

and   hobbies.     Games   occupy   a  useful   part  in 

daily    life.     Indoor    ones    form    a 

Games.       pleasant  way  of  passing  the  time, 

and  helping  to  take  the  mind  off 

work  and  everything  else   that  tends  to   cause 

worry  or  fatigue. 

Outdoor  ones  tempt  people  to  fresh  air  and 
exercise,  and  thus  constitute  a  valuable  aid  to 
health.  And  games  of  all  sorts  do  one  thing, 
they  teach  people  to  take  a  beating  in  good  part. 
By  games  we  mean  of  course  the  playing,  not  the 
watching  of  them.  One  game  even  badly 
played  is  worth  fifty  hours  of  looking  on  while 
others  take  part,  even  if  they  are  experts  and 
play  vastly  better  than  we  could  ever  do. 

Yet  games  necessitate  having  someone  to  play 

with,    and   there   are   many   times  in   our  lives 

when  we  cannot  have  anyone  else 

Hobbies,      to  take  a  part.     That  is  the  great 
advantage    of    hobbies,    they    can 
be  enjoyed  in  solitude. 

Not  that  we  have  any  wish  to  drive  people  to 
solitude,  for  there  is  nothing  worse  than  being 
alone  too  much.  Solitary  people  are  very  apt 
to  become  too  introspective,  and  that  is  always  a 


147 


148  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

bad  thing  for  their  nervous  systems.  If  people 
avoid  the  society  of  their  fellow-men  they  acquire 
an  undue  sense  of  their  own  importance,  and  their 
own  affairs  loom  too  largely  in  their  thoughts. 
Furthermore,  they  are  liable  to  become  depressed, 
and  to  develop  that  mixture  of  conceit  and 
diffidence  which  is  of  all  things  most  objectionable. 

It  is  because  solitude  is  inevitable  that  we  are 
anxious  to  lay  stress  on  those  things  which  will 
effectually  prevent  that  morbid  introspection  and 
make  life  brighter  and  happier.  And  hobbies 
fulfil  both  these  requirements.  There  are 
thousands  of  people  who  are  doomed  to  live  in 
lodgings.  They  have  no  one  at  hand  to  join 
them  in  a  game,  and  unless  they  have  some 
congenial  occupation  wherewith  to  occupy  their 
minds,  life  becomes  a  poor,  dull  affair. 

It  often  happens,  too,  that  those  who  have  the 
privileges  of  family  life  have  to  depend  on  them- 
selves for  their  own  amusement  at 
Hobbies  and  times.  The  other  people  in  the 

home  life,  house  may  be  busy  or  disinclined 
to  take  part  in  any  game.  Besides 
that,  games  are  apt  to  pall  in  time ;  you  cannot 
carry  them  on  indefinitely.  Then  it  is  that  a 
hobby  becomes  a  priceless  boon.  It  does  more 
than  enliven  solitude,  it  makes  all  the  difference 
to  home -life  also. 

A  man  returned  home  after  a  hard  day  at 
business,  and  after  he  had  had  his  meal  sat  down 
and  spent  the  evening  gazing  with  a  bored,  tired 
countenance  into  the  fire,  a  cheerful  spectacle  for 
his  poor  wife,  who  had  also  had  a  worrying  day, 


RECREATION.     HOBBIES.  149 

and  would  have  been  glad  of  a  little  brightness. 
The  boys  and  girls  had  even  to  be  sent  out  of  the 
room,  as  their  talking  made  father's  head  ache. 

As  he  sat  there  his  one  thought  was  of  his  work. 
It  was  all  he  had  to  think  about,  for  he  had  never 
cultivated  any  pursuits  or  broadened  his  interests 
in  any  way.  And  running  the  mind  in  one  groove 
is,  like  singing  on  one  note,  a  tiring  occupation. 
That  man  was  always  tired,  body  and  soul.  Of 
late,  too,  he  had  had  another  worry,  for  he  had 
found  himself  becoming  more  nervous  and 
irritable,  and  with  less  confidence  in  his  own 
powers.  The  dread  had  come  upon  him  that  he 
was  going  to  break  down.  And  as  he  thought  of 
his  wife  and  family,  who  would  be  left  insufficiently 
provided  for,  it  nearly  broke  his  heart. 

Twelve  months  later  if  you  had  gone  to  that 
same  house  you  would  have  seen  the  table  littered 
with  prints  and  negatives.  Blessed  be  untidiness, 
of  that  sort  at  any  rate  ;  it  generally  means,  like 
the  dirt  on  a  boy's  face,  that  someone  is  happy. 
There  were  no  tired  looks  now,  and  no  sending 
the  young  people  out  of  the  room  Instead, 
everyone  was  cheerful,  everyone  talking  at  once, 
and  as  for  father,  you  would  not  have  known 
him.  Even  the  children  did  not  know  what  was 
coming  over  him,  he  was  getting  so  jolly.  His 
friends,  too,  and  he  had  more  of  them  of  late 
than  he  used  to  have,  were  glad  to  meet  him, 
instead  of  fighting  shy  of  him  as  an  old  bore  like 
they  used  to  do. 

The  secret  of  it  all  was  that  he  had  been  to  a 
lecture  on  birds,  and  the  lecturer  had  described 


150  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

the  fascination  of  photographing  them  in  their 
haunts.  He  had  taken  it  up,  and  the  result  was 
that  he  had  seen  more  than  birds,  for  his  eyes 
had  been  opened  to  all  the  beauties  of  Nature,  and 
he  had  found  the  world  a  very  pleasant  place  to 
live  in  after  all.  The  fresh  air  and  exercise  which 
he  had  enjoyed  whilst  following  his  new  bent  had 
banished  his  dyspepsia,  his  headaches  had 
disappeared,  and  he  had  forgotten  all  about  the 
palpitation  and  vague  pains  and  discomforts 
that  used  to  worry  the  life  out  of  him. 

His  nervous  system  had  taken  a  new  lease  of 
life.  He  had  lost  all  his  dreads  and  forebodings, 
and  had  regained  his  old  confidence  in  business 
matters.  The  old  wearing  monotony  of  life  had 
gone,  and  his  brain  was  alive  and  keen  with  varied 
interests,  for  no  hobby  comes  alone,  it  invariably 
brings  its  friends  along  with  it.  And  the  more 
the  merrier. 

This  welcome  change  in  his  manner  of  spending 
his  evenings,  the  change  from  wearisome  brooding 
to  congenial  pastime,  had  given  to  his  mind  the 
repose  it  had  stood  so  badly  in  need  of,  and  for 
want  of  which  it  had  been  slowly  but  surely 
drifting  towards  a  breakdown.  For  the  latter 
is  due,  as  we  have  already  seen,  to  a  gradual 
disorganisation  of  the  various  functions  of  the 
body  undermining  the  nervous  system.  And  a 
hobby  such  as  this,  combining  indoor  and  outdoor 
pursuits,  does  more  than  relieve  the  tedium  of  a 
tired  brain,  it  invigorates  every  organ  and  tissue 
in  the  body. 

And  they  not  only  act  as  a  direct  preventive  of 


RECREATION.     HOBBIES.  in 


breakdowns  themselves,  but  they  are  an  invaluable 
aid  to  other  forms -of  treatment. 
Hobbies      If  a  lethargic  person  is  ordered  to 
in  the        take    exercise,    it    is    a    constant 
treatment  of  difficulty  to   keep   him  up   to  it, 
breakdowns,  unless  he  has  some  other  induce- 
ment.    Get  him  to  take  up  some 
outdoor  pursuit,   such   as  gardening  or  natural 
history  in  one  or  other  of  its  multifarious  phases, 
and  he  will  have  exercise  in  abundance  without 
knowing  that  he  is  taking  it.     Numbers  of  men 
would  be  vastly  better  in  health,  too,  if  they  had 
more  exercise  after  reaching  home,  especially  on 
winter  evenings,   instead  of  sitting  by  the  fire 
until  bedtime.     If  told  to  take  up  physical  drill, 
they  may  go  on  with  it  for  a  time,  but  will  almost 
certainly  get  tired  of  these  duty  exercises  after  a 
while.    Persuade  them  to  take  up  wood  carving  or 
carpentry,  and  they  will  get  all  that  they  need  and 
a  large  measure  of  enjoyment  at  the  same  time. 
Many  a  case  of  gout,  dyspepsia,  sluggish  liver 
and  such-like  ailments  in  stout,  plethoric  persons 
can  be  cured  by  this  means  more  effectually  than 
by  any  other. 

Or  it  may  be  that  patients  are  ordered  rest, 
because  of  some  overstrain,  or  a  weakness  in  some 
particular  organ,  as  the  lungs  or  heart.  It  is 
difficult  enough  to  secure  this  rest  in  the  case  of 
a  woman,  but  in  that  of  a  man  it  is  wellnigh 
impossible.  There  is  no  more  restless  being  than 
a  man  who  is  either  confined  to  the  house  or 
unable  to  walk  far.  He  gets  tired  of  reading  and 
playing  "  Patience/'  and  the  result  is  that  in  most 


162  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

instances  he  moons  about  aimlessly,  a  nuisance 
to  himself  and  to  those  around  him.  Once  let 
him  take  up  some  hobby  which  will  interest  him, 
and  the  case  becomes  entirely  different.  He  can 
take  his  camera  and  photograph  places  or  people, 
near  at  hand  or  farther  away  according  to  his 
powers  of  walking,  and  can  find  ample  occupation 
in  the  evenings  or  on  wet  days,  developing, 
printing  and  arranging  the  pictures  he  has  taken. 

Or  he  can  take  his  specimen  case  and  spend 
whole  days  quietly  hunting  for  wild  flowers,  birds' 
eggs,  or  anything  else  he  is  inclined  for,  and 
obtain  a  vast  amount  of  pleasure  afterwards  in 
setting  out  his  treasures.  Or  he  can  do  a  bit  of 
gardening,  heavy  or  light  according  to  his 
capabilities,  and  if  he  has  a  greenhouse  he  can  fill 
up  his  time  profitably  when  the  state  of  the 
weather  does  not  permit  of  outside  work.  .  • 

Hobbies  have  ceased  to  be  regarded  simply  as 
a  means  of  putting  in  time,  and  have  come  to 
occupy  an  important  part  in  medical  treatment. 
Consumptive  sanatoria,  for  instance,  present  a 
very  different  appearance  now  from  what  they 
did  some  years  ago.  At  that  time  the  visitor 
was  met  with  the  pitiable  spectacle  of  a  melancholy 
array  of  dispirited  patients,  lying  about  in  all 
stages  of  dejection.  Now  he  sees  men  and  women 
engaged  in  gardening  and  other  outdoor  pursuits, 
looking  as  if  they  were  thoroughly  enjoying 
themselves,  which  is  just  what  they  are  doing. 

The  same  benefit  from  such  pursuits  is  found 
in  all  cases  where  fresh  air  is  required,  as  in 
anaemia,  neurasthenia,  etc.  An  outdoor  hobby 


RECREATION.     HOBBIES.  15£ 

secures  the  fresh  air,  and  supplies  the  best  of 
tonics  for  nervous  systems.  And  when  breathing 
exercises  are  ordered  at  the  same  time,  the  easiest 
way  to  ensure  their  being  carried  out  is  to  induce 
the  patient  to  learn  singing,  which  is  the  best  and 
most  agreeable  form  in  which  they  can  be  applied. 

As  to  the  stage  of  convalescence  from  any 
illness,  any  medical  man  will  testify  that  people 
who  have  hobbies  get  well  very  much  sooner  than 
those  who  have  not.  And  in  this  case,  as  in  all 
those  of  people  whose  lives  and  movements  are 
limited  owing  to  some  physical  weakness,  if  they 
have  no  such  pursuits  to  brighten  their  lives,  the 
incessant  worrying  and  brooding  are  very  liable 
to  result  in  neurasthenia,  which  is  the  half-way 
house  to  breakdowns. 

And  for  those  of  my  readers  who  still  retain 
the  priceless  gift  of  health,  and  wish  to  retain  it, 
a  hobby  is  better  than  all  the  riches  in  the  world. 
It  is  independent  of  riches,  too,  for  anyone  can 
cultivate  it,  the  poor  as  easily  as  the  wealthy. 
More  easily,  in  fact,  for  the  more  difficult  a  thing 
is  to  acquire  the  more  we  enjoy  it  when  we  have 
secured  it.  The  man  or  woman  who  can  fill  their 
house  with  treasures  of  art  and  literature  simply 
by  signing  a  cheque  rarely  appreciate  what  they 
have  got. 

When  making  a  start  take  up  anything,  it  does 

not  matter  what.     One  hobby  leads  to  another, 

and    it    leads    to    something    else, 

Choice  of  a  which  is  one  of  the  -most  potent  aids 

hobby.        to    health.     For    no    sooner    has 

anyone  begun  a  fresh  pursuit  than 


154  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

they  meet  with  someone  who  is  interested  in  the 
same  subject.  A  hobby  has  been  the  means  of 
the  beginning  of  many  a  lifelong  friendship.  And 
a  congenial  friendship  is  the  best  remedy  for  the 
headaches  and  heartaches  and  soulaches  with 
which  lonely  people  are  so  often  afflicted,  to  the 
detriment  of  their  nervous  systems. 

For  those  who  wish  to  cultivate  some  hobby  to 
act  as  an  evening  pastime,  and  give  the  mind  its 
needed  rest,  it  is  important  to  choose  one  that  is 
a  contrast  to  their  daily  occupation.  If  they 
work  with  their  brains  all  day,  they  should  take 
up  some  pursuit  that  involves  manual  exercise. 
If  they  are  working  all  day  with  their  hands,  they 
are  better  advised  to  fix  on  one  that  makes  a  call 
upon  the  mind,  without  much  physical  exertion. 
They  may  start  a  course  of  reading,  for  instance. 

Now  reading  implies  either  amusement  or 
instruction,  or  the  two  combined,  as  in  the  case 
of  history  or  travel.  In  these  days  both  these 
subjects  are  presented  in  a  form  that  is  not  only 
an  education,  but  also  a  welcome  relaxation  to 
the  tired  brain.  It  is  a  relief  sometimes  to  have 
our  minds  carried  back  to  the  ages,  and  realise 
that  the  troubles  which  beset  us  are  just  the  same 
as  those  from  which  people  have  suffered  right 
down  through  the  centuries. 

We  can  have  all  the  pleasures  of  travel  without 
the  disadvantages — gazing  at  the  ruins  of  some 
Indian  temple  without  being  suffocated  by  the 
heat,  or  wandering  in  tropical  forests  without 
being  bitten  to  death  by  mosquitoes  and  running 
the  risk  of  malaria. 


RECREATION.     HOBBIES.  155 

Or  if  the  eyes  be  too  tired  for  reading,  there  are 
hosts  of  other  pursuits  which  will  render  agreeable 
diversion  to  the  mind.  A  husband  and  wife  who 
spend  their  evenings,  the  one  with  music  or  some 
interesting  hobby,  and  the  other  with  her  fancy 
work  or  French  painting,  are  more  likely  to  be 
"  happy  though  married, "  than  if  they  sit  in  their 
chairs  to  a  growling  accompaniment  of  the  day's 
worries  and  a  querulous  account  of  the  servants' 
doings. 

Life  without  a  hobby  is  like  a  dinner  without 
salt ;  it  may  be  inoffensive,  but  there  is  a  sad 
lack  of  relish  about  it. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

WORK. 

WORK  is  the  natural  heritage  of  mankind.    "  Man 

goeth  forth  unto  his  work  and  to  his  labour  until 

the  evening. "    He  does  so  in  order  to  get  the  means 

of  livelihood.    Yet  even  those  who  inherit  sufficient 

to  make  them  independent  must  work  also.     They 

may  not  have  to  work  in  order  to  live,  but  they 

must  of  a  certainty  work  in  order  to  live  healthily. 

A  certain  statesman,  well  endowed  with  this 

world's  goods,  has  been  known  to  say  that  even 

when  he  is  out  of  office  and  on  a 

Necessity     holiday,  he  finds  it  necessary  to  his 

for  work,     personal  comfort  to  study  hard  for 

at  least  two  or  three  hours  each 

day,   otherwise  his  nerves   and   his  heart  begin 

to  trouble  him.     And  while  making  due  allowance 

for  patriotism   and  sense   of  duty,   there  is  no 

doubt  that  many  men  who  do  not  need  to  work 

for  a  living  take  up  work  of  some  sort  or  other, 

politics,  the  army,  or  whatever  else  takes  their 

fancy,  because  they  feel  vastly  better  for  having 

something  definite  to  do. 

Work  affords  systematic  exercise  for  the  mind, 

and  a  mind  to  be  healthy  needs  exercise  as  much 

as  the  body  does.    Why  is  it,  then, 

Work        that  if  work  is  indispensable  to  our 

as  mental     bodily  welfare  from  a  health  point  of 

exercise,      view  we  all  look  forward  so  eagerly 

to  the  time  when  we  can  retire  and 


156 


WORK  157 

leave  it  behind  us  ?  Yet  that  seems  to  be  the 
.goal  towards  which  we  are  most  of  us  striving. 
And  it  is  an  aimless  one,  unless  a  man  has  some 
pursuit  by  means  of  which  he  can  use  and  enjoy 
his  years  of  leisure,  some  absorbing  hobby  or 
public  work  of  one  sort  or  other.  It  is  the  man 
who  has  applied  himself  so  closely  to  his  business 
or  profession  as  to  have  deadened  his  interest  in 
other  matters,  who  finds  retirement  such  a 
deadly  dull  affair. 

It  is  often  said  that  a  man  does  his  best  work 
before  he  is  forty.  The  cry  is  for  young  men  in 
every  branch  of  employment,  and 
How  to  those  who  have  reached  middle  age 
work  and  be  stand  a  poor  chance  if  they  are  so 
healthy.  unfortunate  as  to  lose  their  situa- 
tions. Yet  their  experience  ought 
to  make  them  more  useful  and  indispensable  than 
at  any  previous  stage  in  their  career.  A  man  of 
fifty-five  complained  to  me  some  years  ago  that 
he  was  being  put  on  the  shelf  on  account  of  his 
age.  "Yet  I  am  better  fitted  to  do  my  work 
than  I  have  ever  been,"  he  said. 

It  is  quite  true  that  he  was  better  fitted  for  it 
from  the  point  of  view  of  experience  and  judgment. 
Yet  he  was  a  confirmed  dyspeptic,  and  was  always 
taking  cold,  necessitating  frequent  absences  from 
his  work,  which  was  a  responsible  one.  And  it  is 
just  on  this  very  account  that  there  is  a  demand 
for  younger  and  stronger  men  to-day.  Employers 
prefer  a  man  who  is  warranted  to  turn  up  when 
he  is  wanted,  rather  than  a  more  experienced  one 
who  is  liable  to  be  at  home  indisposed  at  the 


158  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

very  time  when  his  services  are  most  urgently 
needed.  They  say  quite  rightly,  "  We  cannot 
afford  to  have  a  man  who  is  in  danger  of 
breaking  down." 

Most  of  the  breakdowns  that  we  meet  with  are 
put  down  to  work  or  overwork.  It  is,  therefore, 
looking  at  the  matter  from  the  personal  point  of 
view,  a  burning  question  as  to  how  work  can  be 
carried  out  without  bringing  in  its  train  this 
much-dreaded  climax.  In  other  words,  "  How 
to  work  and  be  healthy." 

It  is  folly  to  go  blindly  on,  as  so  many  do, 
hoping  for  the  best,  and  taking  no  steps  to  make 
sure  of  it.  It  is  not  work,  but  the  conditions  under 
which  it  is  done,  that  accounts  for  the  loss  of 
health  which  so  often  accompanies  it.  And 
much  of  this  loss,  and  most  of  the  breakdowns 
which  occur  as  a  result  of  it,  may  be  avoided 
by  a  careful,  practical  study  of  the  whole 
question. 

We  need  to  look  at  it  from  three  points  :  before, 
during,  and  after  work. 

If  a  man  lies  in  bed  until  the  last  minute 

dresses  in  a  hurry,  perhaps  cutting  his  chin  while 

shaving  and  losing  his  shirt  stud, 

Before       bolts   down   his   breakfast   in   the 

work.        fewest  possible  minutes,  and  then 

runs  to  catch  his  tram  or  train,  it 

is  not  to  be  wondered  at  if  he  returns  home  in  the 

evening  thoroughly  fagged  out.     He  has  started 

the  day  by  breaking  nearly  every  rule  of  health 

in  the  course  of  about  three-quarters  of  an  hour, 

and  is  surprised  and  worried  because  he  finds 


WORK.  159 

that  his  work  takes  such  a  lot  out  of  him.  Yet 
next  morning  he  begins  by  doing  the  very  same 
thing  over  again. 

Then  he  sighs  for  the  time  when  he  will  be  able 
to  rest  on  his  oars  and  take  life  easily,  leaving 
"  the  beastly  business "  behind  him.  And  so 
long  as  he  goes  on  in  the  way  he  is  doing,  he  will 
sigh  for  it  in  vain.  He  may  feel  thankful  if  he  is 
able  to  go  on  with  his  work,  and  does  not  find 
himself  laid  on  one  side,  broken  down  in  health 
and  spirits. 

Try  an  experiment,  some  of  you  who  see 
yourselves  in  the  picture  I  have  just  drawn. 
Get  up  in  good  time,  and  that  means  going  to  bed 
in  good  time  also  the  night  before.  Dress  and 
take  your  breakfast  in  a  leisurely  manner,  and 
then  either  go  for  a  turn  in  the  garden  or  farther 
afield  if  you  like,  or  else  have  a  quiet  rest  by  the 
fireside,  if  the  weather  is  inclement.  Give 
yourself  plenty  of  time  to  get  to  your  place  of 
business,  and  at  the  end  of  the  day  you  will  be 
in  a  position  to  decide  as  to  whether  it  was  your 
work  or  your  way  of  starting  the  day  which  was 
to  blame. 

Of  one  thing  we  have  little  doubt.  Even  if  you 
do  not  feel  as.  well  as  you  might  do  when  you 
reach  home  again,  you  will  feel  better  than  you 
have  done  for  a  long  time  past.  But  not 
so  well  as  you  may  do  before  long.  For 
there  are  different  ways  of  going  about  your 
work,  as  well  as  of  preparing  for  it  and  getting 
there. 

It  is  astonishing  how  many  people  there  are 


160  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

who  are  careful  as  to  ventilation  and   such-like 

matters    in   their  own  homes,  but 

During  work,  will  put  up  with  all  sorts  of  hygienic 

Hygiene.      defects  in  their  offices.     They  will 

sit  with  their  heads  or  their  feet  in 
•cold  draughts  in  the  winter  time  and  in  baking 
hot  rooms  in  the  summer.  A  strip  of  wood  under 
the  door,  or  a  curtain  over  it,  the  removal  of  a 
desk  to  a  more  convenient  position,  or  the  fixing 
of  a  sunblind,  as  the  case  may  be,  would  make 
all  the  difference  in  the  world  to  their  comfort 
and  health.  Yet  they  put  up  with  these  incon- 
veniences, and  go  on  taking  colds  and  headaches, 
just  because  it  is  an  office  or  a  place  of  business 
and  not  a  private  house. 

Noises  in  the  street  outside  are  a  frequent  cause 
of  tiredness.     Through  long  custom  people  fail  to 

hear  them,  and  become  unaware  of 
Noises.       their  existence,  but  the  consequent 

nervous  tension  is  there  all  the  same. 
No  expenditure  in  the  shape  of  mechanical  con- 
trivances, even  if  it  necessitates  some  re-building, 
is  too  great  if  it  can  mitigate  this  constant  source 
of  irritation  to  the  nervous  system. 

As  to  the  telephone,  we  are  almost  afraid  to 
mention  it,  simply  because  we  have  no  remedy 

to  suggest.     There  is  no  doubt  that 
Telephone,    it    has   increased    the    stress    and 

strain  of  work  considerably,  not 
merely  by  forcing  the  pace,  but  also  by  its  direct 
effect  on  the  nerves  of  the  head. 

We  are  only  able  to  offer  one  piece  of  advice, 
and  that,  we  fcar,  a  poor  one.     It  is  this.     Do 


WORK.  161 

not  lose  your  temper  if  it  is  not  working  properly. 
It  may  be  a  source  of  satisfaction  to  tell  the 
operator  at  the  Exchange  exactly  what  you 
think  of  him  and  the  system  in  general,  but 
invective  is  like  a  boomerang,  it  often  does  more 
damage  to  the  thrower  than  to  anyone  else. 

One  of  the  common  causes  of  strain  is  the  habit 

of  writing  in  a  bad  light,  or  with  the  eyes  facing 

the  light.    Nothing  causes  the  brain 

Bad  light,  more  discomfort  than  a  constant 
glare  of  light  on  the  face,  or  trying 
to  read  or  write  in  a  poor  light.  And  there  is  no 
need  for  it.  It  must  be  a  poor  sort  of  office  where 
the  window,  or  artificial  means  of  lighting,  cannot 
be  so  arranged  as  to  illuminate  the  paper  without 
causing  any  strain  on  the  eyesight. 

Whether  headaches  be  due  to  this  or  any  other 
cause,  they  should  never  be  neglected,  especially 
if  they  are  liable  to  come  on  while  at  work.  For 
repeated  headaches,  even  though  they  may  be 
but  slight,  have  a  wearing  effect  on  the  brain  and 
other  parts  of  the  nervous  system.  They  may 
be  due  to  most  trivial  causes  in  some  cases, 
which  is  all  the  more  pity  why  they  should  be 
allowed  to  persist.  A  man  who  was  at  the  head 
of  a  large  firm  once  consulted  a  doctor  because 
he  found  that  his  work  took  it  out  of  him  more 
than  before.  The  medical  man  noticed  that  the 
patient  was  slightly  deaf,  though  the  latter  did 
not  seem  to  be  aware  of  the  fact.  On  examination, 
the  ears  were  found  to  be  blocked  with  wax,  the 
removal  of  which  restored  the  man  to  his  usual 
state  of  health  and  vigour.  It  had  been  simply 

12 


162  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

the  strain  of  trying  to  hear  what  was  being  said 
which  had  produced  a  constant  sense  of  fatigue. 

There  is  one  custom  which  in  these  busy  times 
tends  to  be  dying  out.  It  is  that  of  the  midday 
meal  rest,  the  old-fashioned  forty 
Midday  rest,  winks.  "  There  is  no  time  for  it 
now/'  people  say.  But  there  is 
time  for  everything,  if  we  choose  to  make  it. 
The  head  of  one  of  the  largest  firms  in  this  country 
used  to  insist  on  this  rest,  no  matter  how  urgent 
the  matters  might  be  that  needed  his  attention. 
He  kept  a  couch  in  his  private  office,  and  each  day, 
as  soon  as  he  had  had  his  lunch,  he  locked  the 
door,  and  for  twenty  minutes  took  a  comfortable 
rest  and  snooze.  And  woe  betide  anyone  who 
disturbed  him.  It  was  to  this  custom  that  he 
attributed  the  fact  that  he  had  retained  his 
faculties  and  vigour  to  an  age  at  which  most  of  his 
conlreres  were  dead  or  broken  down. 

Some  may  prefer  to  have  a  walk  in  the  fresh 
air,  and  if  their  occupation  is  a  sedentary  one 
and  they  have  been  cooped  up  in  an  office  all  the 
morning,  it  will  probably  suit  them  better  than 
lying  down. 

It  is  not  uncommon  to  find  cases  in  which  there 

is  over-fatigue  because  the  intervals  between  the 

meals  is  too  long,  apart  from  any 

Intervals      circumstances  which  interfere  with 

between      them.     A  man  gets  his  breakfast 

meals.        at  eight   o'clock  and  his  lunch  at 

half-past    one    it    may    be.       He 

objects  to  eating  between  meals,  so  takes  nothing 

for  the  whole  of  that  time.      Now  this  for  most 


WORK.  163 

people  is  too  long  ;  the  system  becomes  exhausted, 
and  has  to  do  its  work  without  proper  nourish- 
ment. This  means  that  it  has  to  draw  upon  the 
reserve  forces,  and  while  this  may  be  done  now 
and  then,  it  cannot  be  repeated  often  without 
depleting  them.  Many  people  would  find  the 
greatest  benefit  from  a  little  light  refreshment  in 
the  course  of  the.  morning.  They  do  not  need 
much :  a  cup  of  coffee  or  soup,  or  a  glass  of  milk 
and  a  biscuit,  are  quite  sufficient  to  keep  them 
going  until  the  luncheon  hour. 

For  the  same  reason  a  cup  of  tea  with  bread 
and  butter  or  cake  about  four  o'clock  or  there- 
abouts is  an  excellent  thing.  And  like  the 
morning  snack,  it  provides  more  than  nourishment, 
for  it  necessitates  a  break  and  a  breath  of  fresh 
air,  which  invigorate  the  nervous  system,  and 
often  enable  a  man  to  reach  home  fresh  and  well, 
when  otherwise  he  would  get  there  jaded  and  tired. 

Sometimes  it  is  the  nature  of  the  work  which 

imposes  a  special  strain.     Great  responsibilities 

and  grave  issues  may  have  to  be 

Nature  of     met,  as  in  the  case  of  contractors, 

work.        stockbrokers,    etc.      An    enormous 

degree  of  nervous  tension  may  have 

to  be  concentrated  into  a  few  minutes.     There  is 

no  escaping  from  it,  we  know.     Yet  the  man  who 

has  consistently  looked  after  his  health,  not  only 

in  the  mornings   before   setting   out  but  at  all 

other  times,  is  in  a  much  more  satisfactory  state 

to  deal  with  such  emergencies  and  to  bear  the 

strain  of  them. 

Often  it  is  working  against  time  which  does  the 


164  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

harm.     Sometimes  this  rush  cannot  be  helped 

The  journalist,  for  instance,  must 

Working      have  his  news  or  his  leader  ready 

against  time,  by  a  certain  hour.     The  newspaper, 

like  time  and  tide,  cannot  wait. 
Yet  at  other  times  it  can  be  helped.  A  man  finds 
that  if  he  goes  on  for  another  hour,  instead  of 
going  to  his  lunch  or  dinner  at  the  proper  time, 
he  can  finish  what  there  is  to  do.  He  may  finish 
his  work,  to  be  sure.  Often  he  finishes  himself 
at  the  same  time.  It  would  be  to  his  advantage  in 
the  long  run,  if  he  left  the  work  and  had  his  meal, 
and  returned  to  complete  his  duties  afterwards. 

This  interference  with  meal-times  is  a  fruitful 
source  of  nervous  exhaustion  and  breakdown. 
The  system  is  deprived  of  nourishment  just  when 
it  is  most  in  need  of  it.  Every  meal  postponed 
under  such  circumstances  brings  the  hour  of 
retribution  nearer. 

Apart  from  interference  with  meals,  working 
against  time  has  a  bad  effect  of  its  own.  It  is  like 

running  for  a  train.     A  man  who 

Mental       could  cover  the  same  distance  in 

effect  of      the  same  time  without  any  effort 

hurry.        if  there  was  no  train  to  catch  will 

arrive  at  the  station  breathless. 
The  anxiety  of  getting  there  in  time  has  caused 
a  mental  disturbance,  which  has  affected  the  heart 
on  its  own  account.  In  the  same  way  there  are 
cases  of  nervous  exhaustion  and  loss  of  health 
due  entirely  to  the  habit  of  rushing  at  corre- 
spondence in  order  to  get  it  off  by  a  certain  post. 
It  may  have  to  be  done,  but  the  man  would  be 


WORK.  165 

better  off  in  the  end  if  he  lost  the  business  rather 
than  acquire  it  at  the  expense  of  his  health. 

There  is  a  peculiar  strain  connected  with  work 
which  demands  appearing  before  the  public.  It  is 
pitiable  to  reflect  how  many  artistes, 
Public  work,  actors,  musicians,  and  others  break- 
down in  their  efforts  to  give 
pleasure  and  diversion  to  the  tired  minds  of  others. 

The  reason  lies  in  the  fact  of  their  having  to 
do  a  certain  thing  at  a  certain  time,  and  to  do 
it  with  an  audience.  They  must  give  their  per- 
formance and  maintain  their  highest  standard  of 
excellence,  when  perchance  their  heads  are  aching, 
or  they  have  got  a  bad  cold  and  are  only  fit  to 
be  in  bed.  They  must  be  up  to  time,  or  they  may 
find  their  place  occupied  by  another. 

For  similar  reasons  the  parson  is  always  vastly 
more  liable  to  breakdowns  than  the  lawyer  or 
doctor.  He  may  get  up  feeling  tired  or  ill  on 
Sunday  morning,  but,  except  at  the  risk  of  causing 
great  inconvenience  to  others,  he  must  put  in  an 
appearance  in  the  pulpit. 

Yet  there  is  another  consideration  which  enters 
even  more  largely  into  the  question.  It  is  that 
these  public  appearances  often  interfere  with 
meal-times  and  sleep.  A  performance  or  a 
meeting  in  the  evening  necessitates  a  delayed 
supper  and  late  hours  of  retiring  to  rest.  '  The 
nervous  system  is  at  the  same  time  worked  up 
into  an-  excited  condition,  so  that  it  has  its  rest 
and  nourishment  cut  off  just  when  it  stands 
most  in  need  of  both. 

Much  of  this  may,   however,   be   avoided  by 


166  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

judicious  care.  There  have  been  speakers, 
artistes  and  other  public  characters  who  have 
been  able  to  continue  in  harness  up  to  an  advanced 
age.  They  have  achieved  this  simply  by  strict 
attention  to  the  needs  of  the  body.  They  would 
fortify  themselves  with  a  good  meal  beforehand  ; 
whatever  else  happened,  they  would  not  allow  that 
function  to  be  interfered  with.  If  they  could  not 
get  food  before  leaving  home,  they  would  arrange 
for  it  to  be  ready  for  them  at  the  rendezvous.  On 
arriving  home  again,  they  would  give  their  nervous 
systems  the  best  chance  by  taking  a  meal  and 
then  having  a  quiet  read,  with  a  smoke  if  they 
were  so  inclined,  afterwards  going  to  bed  as  soon 
as  was  compatible  with  their  digestions. 

Many  of  these  may  seem  trivial  details,  yet  it 
is  the  little  things  of  life  which  amount  to  so 
much  ;  and  if  these  precautions  are  observed, 
there  are  many  weary  workers  in  all  ranks  of 
life  who  will  find  that  labour  loses  much  of  its 
drudgery.  If  everyone  were  to  carry  them  out, 
we  should  see  fewer  haggard  faces  and  tired  eyes 
than  we  do  at  present.  •  One  has  only  to  travel  in 
any  suburban  train  to  find  out  how  many  people 
there  are  who  go  home  each  evening  weary  and 
done  up.  This  is  not  what  life  was  meant  to  be. 
Honest  fatigue  there  will  always  be,  but  no  one 
objects  to  that.  It  is  the  jaded  despondency  on 
the  faces  of  so  many  people  at  the  close  of  their 
day's  work  that  is  contrary  to  all  principles  of 
humanity.  It  is  one  thing  to  be  tired  ;  it  is  a 
different  thing  to  reach  home  more  dead  than 
alive,  and  ready  to  drop. 

If  people  would  take  more  care  in  preparing 


WORK.  167 

themselves  for  their  daily  duties,  and  in  improving 
their  conditions  of  work,  both  for  themselves  and 
their  employees,  we  should  hear  very  much  less 
of  breakdowns  than  we  do  at  present. 

The  way  in  which  people  spend  their  spare  time 

in  the  evenings  is  of  the  greatest  importance.     It 

is  their  opportunity  for  repairing 

After  work,   the   wear    and   tear   of    the    day's 

work,  and  of  fitting  themselves  to 

stand  the  brunt  of  that  which  is  to  come.     The 

manner  in  which  they  spend  it  depends  largely 

on  the  nature  of  the  day's  proceedings. 

If  a  man  has  been  sitting  at  a  desk  all  day,  he 
will  be  all  the  better  for  a  walk  on  returning 
home.  It  will  give  him  a  chance 
Exercise  or  of  fresh  air,  and  the  exercise  will  do 
rest.  his  cramped  legs  good.  If,  how- 
ever, he  is  tired  in  body  as  well  as 
mind,  a  rest  is  what  he  needs.  A  man  was  once 
suffering  in  health,  and  always  feeling  done  up. 
He  rarely  had  an  appetite  for  his  dinner  in  the 
evening.  It  was  all  due  to  one  thing.  He  was 
in  the  habit  of  going  for  an  hour's  hard  walk  each 
evening  after  returning  from  business.  He  did 
it  with  the  best  of  motives,  being  impressed  with 
the  value  of  exercise.  He  overlooked  the  fact 
that  he  had  had  as  much  exercise  as  he  could 
stand  already,  as  his  work  not  only  threw  a  strain 
on  his  thinking  powers,  but  also  involved  a 
constant  amount  of  standing  or  walking  through- 
out the  day.  When  he  stopped  taking  this  duty 
walk — for  such  it  was,  it  gave  him  no  pleasure, 
as  he  was  too  tired  to  enjoy  it — his  health  improved 
by  leaps  and  bounds. 


168  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

There  are  many  such  persons  who  would  feel 
vastly  better,  and  have  better  appetites  and 
digestions,  if  they  took  a  rest  on  reaching  home, 
instead  of  rushing  off  to  golf  or  for  a  walk.  It 
would  refresh  them  as  much  as  exercise  braces  up 
those  who  have  had  too  little  of  it  during  the  day. 

As  to  the  recreations  with  which  people  seek 
to  restore  their  lost  energies,  that  too  must  vary 
according  to  the  nature  of  their 
Amuse-  daily  avocation.  Chess  is  a 
ments.  splendid  game,  there  is  no  doubt. 
Yet  anyone  who  has  had  a  mental 
strain  all  day  had  better  choose  something  that 
demands  less  call  on  their  thinking  powers. 
Under  such  circumstances  we  confess  to  a  pre- 
ference for  something  of  a  lighter  or  more  frivolous 
nature.  Anyhow,  in  whatever  way  people  choose 
to  spend  their  evenings  let  it  be  a  change,  for  in 
that  way  alone  can  rest  be  obtained.  The  brain 
worker  had  better  select  fiction  or  some  such  light 
form  of  literature  if  he  is  disposed  for  reading. 
But  there  are  thousands  of  people  whose  work 
is  cut  and  dried,  and  does  not  involve  any  mental 
strain,  who  would  improve  both  their  minds  and 
their  sense  of  well-being  by  taking  up  some 
reading  or  hobby  which  demands  a  certain 
amount  of  application  and  study. 

The  great  point  after  all  is  to  do  something, 
anything  rather  than  nothing.  Not  that  they 
can  do  nothing  if  they  try,  for  it  is  an  impossible 
feat,  as  we  all  know.  Yet  the  trying  to  do  it  is 
the  greatest  effort  a  man  can  make,  and  tires  him 
out  more  rapidly  than  anything  else. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

WORRY, 

IT  is  a  true  saying  that  worry,  not  work,  kills.. 
People  can  get  through  an  amazing  amount  of  work 
if  they  do  it  in  a  quiet  and  methodical  manner. 

One  morning  two  men  were  walking  along  EU 
road  in  the  direction  of  a  railway  station.  One 
of  them  was  going  at  a  steady  pace,  with  a  look 
of  contentment  about  him,  as  if  he  were  enjoying 
the  walk.  The  other  was  hurrying  along  with  quick, 
nervous  steps,  occasionally  looking  at  his  watch 
and  breaking  into  a  short  run,  while  his  strained 
expression  and  panting  breath  formed  a  marked 
contrast  to  the  easy  deportment  of  his  friend. 

They  both  caught  the  train,  but  while  one  wa& 
cool  and  collected  and  felt  invigorated  for  his 
work  when  he  reached  the  terminus,  the  other 
was  hot  and  flurried,  and  this  gave  him  a  bad 
start  for  the  day.  Moreover,  each  of  them 
transacted  his  business  in  much  the  same  way 
as  he  had  walked  to  the  station,  one  doing  it 
quietly  and  methodically,  while  the  other  spent 
his  time  in  rushing  from  one  thing  to  another, 
taking  his  lunch  in  the  fewest  possible  minutes, 
and  constantly  worrying  himself  and  everyone 
else  into  the  bargain. 

The  'singular  part  of  it  was  that  the  quiet, 
steady-going  man  got  through  more  work  in  th^ 

169 


170  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

day  than  his  friend  did,  and  years  later,  when 
they  had  reached  middle  age,  was  as  fit  as  ever 
for  his  business,  whereas  the  other  man  was 
broken  down  by  overwork,  as  he  called  it. 

In  the  last  chapter  we  considered  the  question 
of  physical  and  mental  fatigue  resulting  from 
-work.  We  purposely  omitted  the  element  of 
worry,  which  does  more  harm  than  all  the  other 
conditions  of  work  put  together.  For  worry 
does  more  than  tire  the  mind — it  demoralises  it. 

In  a  certain  war  two  companies  of  men  had  to 
march  an  equal  distance  in  order  to  meet  at  a 
particular  spot.  The  one  arrived  in  perfect 
order,  and  with  few  signs  of  exhaustion,  although 
the  march  had  been  an  arduous  one.  The  other 
company  reached  the  place  utterly  done  up  and 
disorganised.  It  was  all  a  question  of  leader- 
ship :  the  captain'  of  the  first  company  had 
known  his  way  and  kept  his  men  in  good  order, 
while  the  captain  of  the  second  company  had 
never  been  sure  of  himself,  and  had  harassed  his 
subordinates  with  a  constant  succession  of  orders 
and  counter-orders,  until  they  had  hardly  known 
whether  they  were  on  their  heads  or  their  heels. 
That  was  why  they  arrived  looking  completely 
demoralised. 

Now  worry  has  precisely  the  same  effect  on 

the  mind  as  a  bad  leader  has  upon  his  men.     For 

the  mind  is  not  a  vague  mystery 

Worry        "  somewhere  inside  the  head/'  as  it 

and  the      is  generally  supposed  to  be.     The 

mind.        brain   is   a   matter   of   tissue   and 

blood,  the  same  as  any  other  part 


WORRY.  171 

of  the  body.  We  may  not  know  quite  so  much 
about  it,  but  that  does  not  affect  the  question. 
The  workings  of  the  mind  are  as  definite  and 
practical  as  the  movements  of  the  fingers.  The 
brain  cells  have,  stretching  out  from  them,  a 
number  of  minute  filaments.  We  know  that  the 
tips  of  these  filaments  move  about  and  touch 
their  neighbours.  And  according  to  the  manner 
in  which  they  move,  different  trains  of  thought 
are  set  up.  The  intricate  network  is  constantly 
changing  its  form,  as  the  filaments  link  up 
together  various  parts  of  the  brain  tissue. 

It  is,  in  fact,  the  counterpart  of  a  telephone 
system,  which  has  wires  and  exchanges  and  call 
offices  extending  all  over  the  country.  From 
these  offices  telephone  callers  are  put  into  com- 
munication with  each  other,  and  there  is  a 
never-ending  linking-up  and  switching-off  taking 
place,  and  the  harmony  of  the  systems  depends 
on  the  efficiency  of  the  operators.  Fill  one  of  the 
exchanges  with  a  lot  of  fussy,  ill-trained  people, 
who  would  lose  their  heads,  and  the  whole  system 
would  be  disorganised  in  a  very  short  time. 

Each  man  possesses  his  own  telephone  system 
inside  his  head,  and  the  working  of  it  depends 
entirely  on  himself.  If  he  fidgets  and  fumes  and 
gets  excited  over  what  he  is  doing,  he  worries  the 
brain  filaments  until  they  begin  to  act  all  ways 
except  the  right  one.  And  not  only  do  they  fail 
to  carry  out  their  purpose,  but  the  bother  and 
flurry  through  which  they  pass  tire  them  out 
as  no  amount  of  steady  work  could  ever  do. 
Like  the  men  of  the  second  company,  they 


172  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

get  to  the  end  of  their  day's  work  fagged  and 
exhausted. 

If  this  goes  on  long,  for  days  and  months  and 
years  in  succession,  the  strain  becomes  too  great, 
and  they  either  refuse  to  work  at  all  or  they  get 
completely  out  of  hand.  And,  whichever  they 
do,  it  means  that  the  man  who  owns  them  suifers 
from  a  breakdown.  And  it  was  the  worry,  not 
the  work,  which  caused  it. 

Some  people  have  a  born  knack  of  worrying. 
The  mental  agony  through  which  they  pass  when 
taking  a  railway  journey  is  almost  incredible. 
They  worry  as  to  whether  they  will  get  to  the 
station  in  time,  and  if  their  luggage  will  arrive 
safely  at  its  destination,  and  a  hundred  other 
things  as  well. 

We  once  heard  a  lady  say — almost  boastfully, 
she  seemed  proud  of  the  fact — that  she  never 
slept  a  wink  all  night  if  she  was  a  penny  out  in  her 
household  accounts.  She  did  not  say  what 
happened  if  she  was  a  halfpenny  out.  We  can 
only  presume,  therefore,  that  in  that  case  she 
slept  for  half  the  night. 

With  worries  of  this  sort  we  have  no  sympathy. 
They  can  be  overcome  by  an  effort  of  will,  and 
those  who  give  way  to  them  had  better  realise 
that  they  are  not  only  bothering  the  people 
around  them,  but  endangering  their  own  nervous 
systems  as  well.  For  worry  leads  to  worrj.  A 
mind  that  is  addicted  to  them  will  always  tend 
to  distort  things,  making  mountains  out  of  mole- 
hills. Objects  invariably  loom  larger  in  a  fog. 

And  of  all  troubles  in  this  life  there  are  none  so 


WORRY.  173 

hard  to  bear  as  imaginary  ones.  Many  of  us 
prefer  to  meet  a  burglar  rather  than  a  ghost. 
The  troubles  we  dread  rarely  come.  Yet  the 
strain  of  thinking  about  them  tends  to  precipitate 
other  disasters.  The  man  who  is  always  on  the 
look-out  for  orange  peel  is  very  liable  to  run  his 
head  against  a  lamp-post.  If  after  that  he  is 
always  thinking  of  lamp-posts,  he  is  almost  certain 
to  slip  on  a  piece  of  orange  peel.  And  people 
who  are  constantly  worrying  about  the  future, 
and  all  the  ills  that  it  may  bring  with  it,  are 
inviting  troubles,  for  they  are  frittering  their 
energies  instead  of  applying  them  to  their  work. 

Worry  is  a  potent  factor  in  causing  neurasthenia, 
and  once  that  has  come  about  the  system  is 

deprived  of  its  resisting  power  and 

Worry  and   laid  open  to  disease.     And  neuras- 

neurasthenia.  thenics    are    singularly    prone    to 

forebodings.  The  state  of  the 
nervous  system  alters  the  circulation  in  the  body 
to  such  an  extent  that  it  is  apt  to  cause  the 
feeling  of  illness,  if  not  illness  itself.  Such  people 
are  liable  to  feel  chilly  or  burning  hot,  even 
though  their  temperatures  may  be  normal.  Yet 
because  of  their  sensations  they  feel  certain 
that  they  are  going  to  be  ill,  and  the  dread 
of  this  still  further  aggravates  their  nervous 
condition. 

While  worry  brings  on  neurasthenia,  the  latter 
adds  to  worry.  The  whole  process  is  like  a  snow- 
ball rolling  down  a  hill,  increasing  in  size  as  it 
does  so.  All  the  more  reason,  therefore,  why  we 
should  take  every  precaution  to  arrest  it  at  the 


174  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

outset,  by  considering  in  what  way  worry  can 
be  prevented. 

This  can  never  be  done  by  running  away  from 

responsibilities  or  difficulties  of  any  sort.     Such 

as  they  may  be,  we  must  face  them. 

How         There  are  many  people  to-day,  as 

to  prevent    in  the  ancient  time,  who  sigh  for 

worry.        the  wings  of  a  dove  that  they  may 

fly  away  and  be  at  rest.     Even  if 

they  got  the  wings,  it  is  doubtful  if  they  would  be 

much  better  off.     In  all  probability  they  would 

find    that  they  had  gone   farther  only  to   fare 

worse. 

Neither  can  worry  be  got  rid  of  by  sitting  down 
and  trying  to  make  up  our  minds  that  we  will  not 
give  way  to  it.  The  seasick  man  might  as  well 
command  the  waves  to  be  still.  We  have  little 
direct  control  over  the  nervous  system,  but  we 
have  a  vast  amount  of  influence  over  the  move- 
ments of  the  body,  which  reacts  in  such  a 
pronounced  manner  on  the  mind. 

The  man  who  walks   and   talks  hurriedly  or 

jerkily   tends   to    think   in   like   fashion.     Those 

whose  minds  are  in  a  fume  and  a 

Body  and     fidget  usually  show  it  by  fussing 

mind.         about   and  behave  generally  in  a 

restless   manner.     Let   them   force 

themselves  to  walk  quietly  and  deliberately,  and 

they  will  be  surprised  to  find  how  quickly  their 

minds  follow  suit  and  settle  down  into  a  steadied 

groove.     And  if  they  take  care  to  speak  in  the 

same  deliberate  fashion  at  the  same  time,  the  good 

effect  will  be  heightened.     The  movement  of  the 


WORRY.  175> 

limbs  and  of  the  lips  react  on  the  mind  to  a 
surprising  extent. 

If  any  should  doubt  what  we  have  said  as  to  the 
close  connection  between  the  body  and  the  mind, 
let  them  try  an  experiment  which  was  advocated 
many  years  ago  by  a  celebrated  psychologist. 
It  consists  in  reading  a  comic  book  with  the 
features  contracted  into  a  stern  frown,  and 
following  this  up  by  reading  a  pathetic  one  with 
the  face  relaxed  into  a  broad  grin.  The  result 
will  convince  them  as  to  the  truth  of  our  previous 
statements. 

Sometimes  a  man  is  worried  to  death  on 
account  of  some  event  he  is  anticipating,  a  reply 

to  some  letter  he  has  sent,  or  the 
Anticipation,  news  of  some  appointment  he  is  in 

for.  Often  under  such  circum- 
stances he  will  pace  up  and  down  like  a  caged 
beast,  until  the  nervous  tension  almost  makes 
him  ill.  Try  as  he  may,  he  cannot  sit  still. 
But  he  can  do  something  equally  efficacious,  he 
can  engage  in  some  other  occupation,  keeping  his 
hands  and  mind  employed,  instead  of  glancing 
continually  at  the  clock  or  looking  for  the 
postman. 

And  sometimes  people  are  beset  by  business 
until  they  scarcely  know  where  to  turn.  Then 

it   may   be   that   they   become   so 

Beset  by      agitated  that  they  can  do  nothing 

work.        to  further  the  matter  in  hand.     A 

man  once  consulted  a  doctor  as  to 
an  experience  that  had  befallen  him  on  the 
previous  evening.  "  At  teatime,"  he  said,  "  I 


176  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

found  myself  becoming  anxious  and  worried  as 
to  the  amount  of  work  in  front  of  me.  And  the 
harder  I  tried  to  get  on  with  it  the  more  obstinately 
my  brain  refused  to  act,  and  by  bedtime  I  had  got 
-everything  into  a  hopeless  muddle." 

The  doctor  told  him  that  curiously  enough  he 
himself  had  had  a  similar  experience  the  same 
evening,  and  just  about  the  same  time. 

"  And  what  did  you  do  ?  "  the  patient  inquired, 
and  was  much  astonished  when  the  medical  man 
replied,  "  Went  out,  had  a  couple  of  games  of 
billiards,  then  came  back  and  finished  it  all 
comfortably  in  a  couple  of  hours." 

When  a  man  finds  that  his  work  is  worrying 
him  unduly,  or  when  he  is  so  overwhelmed  by  it 
that  he  cannot  keep  his  mental  equlibrium,  the 
best  thing  he  can  do  is  to  stop  it  for  a  time  and 
have  a  rest  or  a  change  of  some  sort,  even  if  it  is 
only  for  a  few  minutes.  It  will  facilitate  the 
work  in  the  long  run,  and  will  save  the  nervous 
system  from  an  amount  of  wear  and  tear  which 
may  take  days  or  weeks  to  put  right  again. 

Unpunctuality  and  untidiness  are  responsible  for 
.a  great  amount  of  unnecessary  worry.  The  man 
who  is  habitually  late  in  the  mornings  is  apt  to 
find  his  work  accumulate  to  such  an  extent  that 
by  the  time  he  ought  to  be  finishing  his  day's 
work  he  feels  it  has  become  a  heavy  burden  upon 
his  shoulders.  And  people  who  keep  their  desks 
in  an  untidy  condition  lose  a  vast  amount  of  time, 
and  harass  themselves  by  having  to  search  for 
things  they  should  have  been  able  to  put  their 
fingers  on  at  once. 


WORRY.  177 

Above   all,   let   a  man   avoid   stimulating   his 

flagging  brain  by  means  of  alcohol,  or  soothing  it 

by    the    aid    of   drugs.      Tobacco, 

Stimulants,    however,  is — in  the  writer's  opinion 

at  least — a  boon   to   people   of   a 

worrying  disposition.     If  used  to  excess,  especially 

in  the  form  of  cigarettes,  it  may  sap  the  nervous 

system,  and  lead  to  more  worry  than  it  is  likely 

to   prevent.     Taken   in   moderation,    and   in   its 

healthiest  form,  that  of  a  pipe,  it  often  proves  of 

great  benefit  to  tired  nerves. 

It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  for  people  who 

are  subject  to  worry  to  pay  every  attention  to  the 

way    in    which    they    spend    their 

Leisure  time,  leisure    time.     It    is    even    more 

important   in    their   case    than    in 

that  of  people  who  work  too  hard. 

The   effect   of   overwork  is   to   cause   fatigue. 

The  mind  has  been  kept  too  long  in  a  certain 

groove,  until  it  has  become  wearied 

Overwork     from  sheer  exhaustion.        Certain 

compared     parts  of  the  brain  or  the  body  are 

with  worry,  tired  out  for  the  time  being.    Such 

persons  need  recreation  pure   and 

•simple.     A  pleasant  game  or  a  light  novel  is  the 

best  remedy  for  their  fatigue,  taking  the  mind  out 

of  the  groove  in  which  it  has  been  confined. 

The  effect  of  worry,  on  the  other  hand,  is  to 
produce  a  state  of  restlessness,  both  of  mind  and 
body.  The  nervous  system  is  in  an  irritable 
condition,  and  requires  something  that  will  steady 
it  down.  A  game  may  only  add  excitement  to 
the  restlessness.  The  brain  is  acting  in  an 

13 


178  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

irregular,  discursive  manner,  and  needs  some 
method  of  treatment  which  will  reduce  it  to  order. 
And  this  can  best  be  obtained  by  me?,ns  of  a  quiet 
hobby.  The  overworked  man  is  like  a  horse  that 
has  been  plodding  along  all  day  in  the  shafts 
with  a  heavy  weight  behind  it ;  a  little  freedom, 
perhaps  a  gallop  round  a  field,  will  do  it  more 
good  than  anything  else.  The  over- worried  man 
is  like  a  horse  that  has  been  plunging  aimlessly 
around,  excited  and  irritable  :  an  hour's  hard 
work  between  the  shafts  is  what  it  needs. 

Therefore,    while    the    fatigued    man    requires 

recreation,  the  worried  one  will  do  better  with 

some  hobby  that  needs  a  certain 

Worries  and  amount  of  concentration.   The'form 

hobbies.      of  hobby  best  suited  to  him  depends 

on  his  tastes  and  capabilities.     A 

celebrated  physician  once  told  me  that  when  he 

found  himself  becoming  worried  he  could  quiet 

his  mind  most  speedily  by  mathematical  problems. 

They  would  do  him  far  more  good  than  any  game 

or  other  form  of  recreation. 

Many  people,  however,  might  find  this  too 
great  a  strain,  for  it  is  possible  to  be  worried  and 
tired  at  the  same  time,  as  we  all  know.  Yet 
there  are  many  hobbies  which  demand  a  certain 
amount  of  concentration  without  making  too 
great  a  call  on  the  mental  faculties. 

They  may  take  up  books  on  travel,  for  instance, 
and  there  is  no  more  fascinating  form  of  reading. 
Let  them  select  some  particular  country,  and 
read  all  they  can  find  about  it,  its  inhabitants 
and  customs,  until  they  are  authorities  on  that 


WORRY.  179 

subject.  Or  they  may  go  in  for  history,  studying 
some  particular  period,  and  read  all  the  manuals 
and  historical  novels  dealing  with  it.  Continuity 
is  a  great  point  in  any  hobby ;  it  makes  it  not  only 
more  interesting,  but  there  is  the  pleasure  of 
knowing  it  is  always  there,  waiting  for  them, 
without  their  having  to  consider  what  to  take 
up  next. 

Or  they  may  dip  into  such  subjects  as  astronomy 
botany  or  a  host  of  others.  And  these  will  do 
more  than  refresh  the  mind  at  the  time.  People 
of  a  worrying  disposition  are  always  restless  and 
fidgety  on  a  railway  journey,  but  those  who  take 
an  interest  in  such  things  as  geology,  flora  and 
fauna  will  find  plenty  to  occupy  their  minds  with 
as  they  go  along.  Even  railway  embankments 
may  be  made  a  cinematograph  of  delight  to  the 
man  who  has  studied  land  formations.  And 
anyone  who  is  interested  in  architecture  need 
never  fear  the  tedium  of  having  to  spend  an  hour 
or  two  in  a  strange  town  waiting  iof  the  next 
train. 

Those  who  have  a  taste  for  poetry  may  consider 
themselves  fortunate,  for  there  is  something  in  the 
harmony  of  words  that  has  a  specially  beneficial 
effect  on  the  worried  mind.  The  rhythm,  either 
of  blank  verse  or  rhyme,  is  excellently  adapted 
for  reducing  the  aimless  wandering  of  an  over- 
wrought mind  to  a  regular,  steady  running. 
Especially  is  this  the  case  if  people  take  the 
trouble  to  learn  it  by  heart.  For  this  acts  as  a 
kind  of  mental  mastication,  and  the  poetry  is 
consequently  absorbed  and  becomes  a  part  of 


180  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

their  very  being.  Then  they  are  laying  up  for 
themselves  a  store  of  treasures  which  they  may 
enjoy  at  any  moment.  People  who  worry  are 
always  liable  to  be  irritable  when  alone,  and  need 
something  to  counteract  their  moody  tendencies. 

A  man  of  this  type  was  so  subject  to  irritability 
of  this  sort  when  he  was  dressing  in  the  mornings 
that  he  invariably  started  the  day  badly.  And 
a  day  that  begins  in  this  way  is  like  a  choir  that 
starts  on  a  wrong  note,  it  is  a  difficult  matter  to 
get  back  to  the  right  one  again.  This  man, 
owing  to  his  unfortunate  habit,  found  it  almost 
impossible  to  recover  a  harmonious  frame  of 
mind,  until  at  last  he  hit  upon  the  secret.  He 
had  become  enamoured  of  the  writings  of  a  certain 
poet,  and  had  begun  to  learn  whole  passages  by 
heart.  After  that  he  found  himself  repeating 
these  to  himself  when  he  got  up  in  the  morning, 
and  it  is  no  exaggeration  to  say  that  it  altered  his 
life.  It  gave  him  a  good  send-off  for  the  day, 
and  saved  Jhim  from  many  a  mistake  and  many 
a  worry. 

A  hobby  which  combines  hand  and  eye  and 
brain  is  of  great  service  to  a  flurried  mind. 
Engineers,  carpenters  and  all  who  are  engaged  in 
like  occupations  unconsciously  acquire  an  orderly, 
methodical  way  of  thinking. 

As  to  what  form  of  manual  work  people  take 
up  their  individual  tastes  will  decide,  just  as 
much  as  in  the  kind  of  reading  they  indulge  in. 
If  they  have  a  faculty  for  art,  they  can  take  up 
painting  or  music.  And  when  I  say  music,  I 
mean  practising  it  properly,  not  simply  sitting 


WORRY.  181 

down  to  the  piano  to  improvise  or  wander  from 
piece  to  piece.  It  is  the  steady  practice  which 
does  the  brain  good. 

Or  they  may  prefer  carpentry  or  wood  carving, 
or  preparing  microscopic  slides,  than  which  there 
is  no  more  absorbing  hobby.  There  are  scores 
of  others,  too,  equally  interesting. 

Nothing,  however  trivial,  is  beneath  our  notice, 
if  it  will  in  any  way  mitigate  this  deadly  habit  of 
worrying,  which  has  such  a  detrimental  influence 
on  the  nervous  system,  and  so  often  is  responsible 
both  for  the  starting-point  and  the  climax  of  a 
breakdown. 


CHAPTER    XX. 

THE      STRONG      MAN 

THE  strength  of  a  chain  lies  in  its  weakest  link, 

and  the  measure  of  man's  strength  is  that  of  the 

weak    point    in    his    constitution. 

What        He  may  have  the  frame  and  muscle 

Strength  is.    of  a  Sandow,  but  if  he  has  a  faulty 

valve  in  his  heart,  it  is  by  that, 

and  not  by  his  muscular  development,  that  his 

strength  must  be  gauged.     Even  supposing  that 

every   organ   in   his   body  is   sound,    and   he  is 

possessed  of  great  powers  of  endurance,  he  cannot 

be  called  strong  if  he  is  impairing  his  digestion 

by  careless    habits  of    eating  and    drinking,   or 

endangering   his  nervous  system   by   habitually 

keeping  late  hours  and    burning  the  candle   at 

both  ends,  or  laying  up  gout  in  store  for  himself 

by  gourmandising  or  want  of  exercise. 

No  matter  whether  the  weak  spot  be  in  the 
man's  own  system  or  in  his  mode  of  life,  Nature 
will  find  it  out  as  surely  as  the  arrow  found  the 
heel  of  Achilles.  It  is  on  his  weak  points  that  he 
must  stand  or  fall ;  it  is  in  these  that  the  strain 
will  manifest  itself,  in  other  words,  that  the 
breakdown  will  appear. 

The  aim  of  this  book  has  been  to  prevent 
matters  ever  reaching  this  stage,  to  arrest  them 
at  the "  outset.  No  sign,  of  all  those  I  have 


182 


THE   STRONG   MAN.  183 

indicated  as  pointing  towards  a  breakdown, 
should  be  neglected.  The  time  to  take  heed  is 
when  any  man  or  woman  finds  that  their  powers 
of  work  are  failing  them,  their  nerves  easily 
upset,  or  their  minds  assailed  by  an  unreasonable 
dread  of  the  future,  or  that  in  one  or  other  of 
various  ways  they  are  not  the  people  they  were. 
It  is  better  to  slow  down  at  the  first  danger  signal 
than  to  run  past  one  after  another  until  we  are 
pulled  up  with  a  crash. 

The  first  thing,   therefore,  is  to  find  out  the 

weak  points ;  take  care  of  these,  and  the  strong 

ones    will    look    after    themselves. 

Find  out      The  man  who  taps  the  wheels  of 

the  weak  railway  carriages  does  so  in  order 
points.  to  detect  flaws  ;  he  passes  by  the 
sound  wheels  with  indifference. 
And  there  is  a  simple  way  in  which  people  may 
find  out  in  which  particulars  they  are  going  wrong. 
If  they  have  taken  the  trouble  to  wade  through 
this  book,  they  may  have  noticed  that  certain 
paragraphs  or  chapters  attracted  their  attention. 
It  does  not  follow  that  they  agreed  with  them, 
or  thought  them  important  at  the  time.  It  may 
be  that  they  said  (provided  they  were  of  the 
male  gender)  that  they  were  "  all  nonsense/'  or 
that  it  was  "  a  precious  lot  of  fuss  about  nothing." 

It  does  not  matter  what  they  said  or  thought. 
The  point  is  that  they  said  or  thought  something. 
For  the  fact  that  they  did  so  was  proof  that  the 
piece  of  writing  in  question  forced  ^itself  upon 
their  notice,  and  must  therefore  have  had  some 
special  application  to  their  own  case  ;  and  if  this 


184  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

has  been  so,  let  them  pay  particular  heed  to  those 
paragraphs,  or  pages  or  chapters,  whichever  they 
may  have  been. 

If  the  advice  given  is  not  in  accordance  with 
their  own  feelings,  that  fact  does  not  detract  from 
its  value.  Many  of  us,  in  looking  back,  have  to 
acknowledge  that  most  of  the  warnings  and 
counsels  which  have  proved  of  the  greatest 
benefit  in  the  long  run,  were  unpalatable  at  the 
time.  They  were  distasteful  simply  because  we 
knew  in  our  inmost  hearts  that  we  stood  in 
need  of  them.  Otherwise  we  should  not  have 
paid  sufficient  attention  to  them  even  to  feel  any 
resentment  on  the  subject.  There  is  a  lot  of 
meaning  in  the  saying,  "  Greater  truth,  greater 
libel." 

Especially  does  this  apply  to  the  question  of 

exercise  and  rest.     It  is  not  hard,  as  a  rule,  to 

convince    people     that    they    are 

Tempera-     committing  errors  of  diet,  or  getting 

ment.        too  little  fresh  air  ;    but  it  is  very 

different   when   we   come    to   deal 

with  these  other  matters.     Few  people  like  to  be 

told  that  they  should  take  more  exercise,  or  rouse 

themselves  to  show  more  interest  in  things  outside 

their  ordinary  routine  of  work.     It  sounds  like  an 

accusation  of  indolence. 

Yet  such  resentment  is  slight  compared  with 
that  of  the  men  or  women  who  have  to  be  warned 
that  they  are  wasting  their  energies  by  restlessness 
and  worry  or  lack  of  recreation.  These  strenuous 
natures  are  apt  to  take  umbrage  at  the  fact 
of  their  work  being  interfered  with.  They  do  not 


THE   STRONG  MAN.  186 

realise  that  what  we  wish  is  that  they  may  be 
enabled  to  do  better  work  and  more  of  it  in 
the  end. 

When  a  medical  man  sees  a  patient  he  has  to  do 

more  than  diagnose  the  disease.     Often  it  happens 

that  before  he  can  find  out  what  is 

Man,  know   the  matter,  and  certainly  before  he 

thyself.       can   treat   it   efficiently,    he   must 

discover    what    type    of    man    or 

woman  he  is  dealing  with.     Any  coachman  will 

tell  you  that  before  he  can  drive  a  horse  well  he 

must  get  to  know  the  animal  itself.     For  some  are 

restless  and  excitable  and  need  the  curb,  whilst 

others  are  lazy  and  require  the  use  of  the  whip. 

And   for   all  who   wish  to   guide   themselves  in 

matters  of  health  it  is  of  the  first  importance  that 

they  should  know  their  own  temperaments. 

It  is  said  that  people  are  always  the  last  to  hear 
any  gossip  or  scandal  about  themselves.  It  is 
equally  true  that  they  are  usually  the  last  to 
observe  any  change  in  their  health  or  dispositions. 
A  person  may  be  growing  thinner,  paler,  and  more 
tired  looking,  and  yet  be  unaware  of  the  fact. 
Much  more  does  this  apply  to  all  the  nervous 
symptoms  and  other  peculiarities  which  denote 
that  he  is  on  the  down-grade  and  gliding  towards 
a  breakdown.  Yet  if  any  such  signs  are  pointed 
out  to  him  by  others,  either  by  a  medical  man 
or  some  candid  friend,  the  best  thing  he  can  do  is  to 
give  full  consideration  to  their  opinion.  Let 
health  be  preserved  while  it  can.  The  day  may 
come  when  it  will  be  lost  never  to  be  regained. 

Throughout  this  book  we  have  laid  stress  on  the 


186  NERVOUS    BREAKDOWNS. 

influence  of  the  body  on  the  mind,  and  the 
importance  of  attending  to  its 

Adjusting     various  functions  in  order  to  keep 

the  mind,     the  nervous  system  healthy.     Yet 

we   must   not   overlook   the   other 

fact,  viz.  that  we  are   gifted  with  a  certain,  even 

if    limited,    amount    of    control    over    the   mind 

itself. 

Some  writers  have  told  us,  and  quite  rightly  too, 
that  we  can  cultivate  a  brighter  outlook  on  the 
future.  We  are  recommended  to  persuade  our- 
selves that  there  is  no  season  in  the  whole  year 
so  acceptable  as  the  one  that  is  just  commencing — 
no  beauty  like  that  of  spring,  no  glory  like  that 
of  summer,  no  time  so  welcome  as  autumn  with  its 
dying  splendours.  And  when  winter  comes 
we  can  look  forward  to  the  delights  of  the  cosy 
fireside,  so  much  more  sociable  than  the  long, 
garish  days  of  summer.  Instead  of  which,  too 
many  of  us  dread  the  heat  and  the  cold  and 
a  good  many  other  things,  that  are  never  so 
bad  when  they  come  as  we  think  they  are  going 
to  be. 

A  little  calm  philosophy  undoubtedly  goes  a 
long  way  towards  negotiating  many  of  the 
difficulties  and  anxieties  with  which  we  are  all 
confronted  at  times.  Yet  it  is  impossible  to 
acquire  a  cheerful,  philosophical  frame  of  mind 
unless  the  body,  with  its  nervous  system  and 
various  organs,  is  in  a  healthy  condition.  After 
all,  the  chief  thing  is  to  attend  to  its  require- 
ments. 

When  all  is  said  and  done,  we  come  back  to  the 


THE   STRONG  MAN.  187 

elementary  rules  of  health.     It  is  around  these 

that  the  whole  question  of  break- 

The  secret    downs  hinges.     On  the  observance 

of  preventing  of  them  depend  both  the  prevention 

breakdowns,  and  cure  of  this  condition.     If  they 

were  always  carried  out,  this  dire 

calamity  would  rarely,  if  ever,  happen.     When 

once  it  has  loomed  ahead  there  is  only  one  thing 

to  be  done.     The  man  or  woman  who  sees  it 

threatening  them  must  retrace  their  steps  and  get 

back  to  the  place  where  they  took  the  wrong 

turning.     They  must  work  their  way  back  until 

they  have  regained  the  health  and  vigour,  which 

they  once  enjoyed  but  forfeited  through    their 

neglect  of  those  laws. 

And  this  needs  a  vast  amount  of  patience  and 
perseverance.  It  is  easier  to  slide  down  than  to 
climb  up  again,  and  people  may  find  their  progress 
marred  by  many  a  set-back.  Yet  a  backward 
step  in  an  upward  climb  does  not  mean  that  we  have 
rolled  to  the  bottom  of  the  hill  again.  Many  a 
man  is  discouraged  when,  after  months  of  patient 
striving,  he  finds  one  day  that  his  symptoms  have 
returned — his  nervousness,  his  inability  to  tackle 
his  work,  his  feeling  of  langour  and  debility,  or 
whatever  else  it  may  be.  He  thinks  that  all  his 
efforts  have  been  of  no  avail,  and  that  he  might  as 
well  give  up. 

He  need  not  lose  heart,  it  is  but  a  temporary 
lapse.  In  a  few  days  he  will  find  himself  climbing 
up  once  more.  And  if  he  holds  on  bravely  he  will 
one  day  reach  the  summit,  and  enjoy  to  the  full 
the  health  and  strength  and  energy  of  his  earlier 


188  BREAKDOWNS   IN   HEALTH. 

years.     He  will  then  have  obtained  his  reward 

in  the  possession  of  that  treasure  which  is  greater 

than  wealth  or  fame. 

We  cannot  do  better  than  conclude  with  words 

penned  by  a  discerning  writer  more  than  two 

centuries  ago : — 

"  Health  is  that  which  makes  your  meat  and 
drink  both  savoury  and  pleasant.  It  is  that 
which  makes  your  bed  easy  and  your  sleep 
refreshing  ;  that  revives  your  strength  with  the 
rising  sun,  and  makes  you  rejoice  to  behold 
the  light  of  another  day.  Health  is  that  which 
fills  up  the  uneven  parts  of  your  body,  making 
it  plump  and  comely  ;  which  makes  your  mind 
fertile,  and  preserves  the  vigour,  verdure,  and 
beauty  of  your  youth.  'Tis  that  which  makes 
the  soul  take  delight  in  her  mansion,  and  adorns 
your  face  with  glowing  colours.  Good  health 
takes  no  notice  of  heart,  lungs,  stomach  or 
nerves.  Indeed,  it  does  not  know  that  there  are 
such  things." 
The  most  wonderful  feature  of  perfect  health 

is  its  blissful  unconsciousness. 


THE   END. 


Bristol:  J.  W.  ABBOWSMITH  LTD.,  11  Quay  Street. 


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